When Fate Plots and Portals Glitches
by Iamalmosthuman
Summary: Dannys' first red flag that something's up was when he dug himself outta hole in the middle of a park. Second, was that his only memory before climbing out was a strange woman making an (admittedly convincing) claim of being the personification of fate. And third, was when he could see spirits that no-one his age should be able to see. Spirits like, Jack Frost.
1. When Fate Come's A 'Knocking

Danny Fenton had been homeless for three weeks.

 _Three. Weeks._

And aside from a few measly details. Those three weeks was all he could remember. He didn't know where he's from, where he was born, where he used to lived, who was his family, he didn't even know if his family was still _alive_. Or if he ever even had one.

He snuggled a little deeper into his dirt stained red jacket as he crossed his arms over his folded legs. Not because of the cold, but of the strangeness of it all truly beginning to settle in.

And all because of a woman with a _clipboard_.

He started to lean back on the moss crusted bricked wall as he began to reacquire the whole event. His only _true_ memory before he came to Burgess.

That wasn't even the oddest thing about _her_. If anything, it's the fact that Danny was positive that she wasn't human. Then again, he wasn't too sure if he was completely human ether.

One second, it was black. The next, he was in a swirling pool of silver and then in what strongly resembled an office. And Danny was left with a strange feeling that life had pulled the rug from his feet and shook his world like a snow globe so many times that _surly_ nothing else in this world or the next could faze him.

Now, this is the part where life pulls a wild card on him and says- _think again sucker_!

Danny remembered what she looked like, what she said, and what she'd done with an almost unsettling lucidly compared to everything else.

First thing that happened as he entered the spotless, empty and a nearly blinding white 'office' wasn't a fight, or a petty speech or a crack-pot plan to take over the world that one might expect from such an unusual kidnapping. In fact, if he didn't know better, Danny would've assumed that he was brought there by accident.

The only sound in the room was click-clack of the woman swiftly typing on a key board. And behind the marble desk was wearing a black hijab with a silver, long sleeved turtleneck. But despite the fact that there was a dark haired and blue eyed teenager that 'poofed' out of a magic portal and had suddenly appeared in what Danny had assumed to be her home. She seemed completely unfazed by it. In fact, for the first ten minutes or so, she didn't seem to have any consultation that he was even there.

Danny, if he remembered clearly, began looking for an exit. If conflict could be avoided by a possibly hostile woman whom could summon portals at her will, well then that was probably a good idea.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

When Danny first heard her voice, he nearly jumped out of his skin. Looking back, Danny felt like he was the kind of person that took a lot to unnerve him. Maybe that was just wishful thinking. Her voice seemed to echo through-out the room, as if a piece of it hid in all the dark corners. Her intonation pulsed with power, her tone was gentle, cold and detached all at once. Danny's head whipped back to her direction, he found some comfort that she hadn't moved or even flickered her argent eyes in his direction, the rest of him had felt a spark of annoyance.

Another thing _off_ with the woman, was whatever preternatural thing he is, she _wasn't_. She was a much older, a much stranger, a much more omnipotent creature. The only thing that they had in common was a lack of humanity, and a humanoid figure. That was were the similarities and familiarity ended.

Danny remembered a long pregnant pause before he spoke. "And why not?"

His voice then at the time also had a daemonic echo within it, but it didn't hold the same depth or richness as hers. Danny tone also made it sound like it was a challenge. A dare. His intonation mocked bravery.

As Danny finally spoke, for the first time her eyes trailed to him and looked at him in the eye. When her eyes finally flickered towards him, Danny felt almost violated. As if, just by looking at him she could pierce into the core of his very being.

"Because I said so, and I'm not done with you yet."

Danny then raised a brow "and what do you plan to do then? And, better question, why _should_ I listen to you? Why should I listen to _anyone_ that kidnaps me? The last guy wanted me cloned."

As Danny presently sat down by the dumpster, he wasn't sure if what he said was a joke or not.

Instead of answering his question's, in smooth movements rarely seen in humans, she arose from her seat. From the end of her desk was a clipboard that she grabbed as she walked closer towards him.

Danny was proud to say that he stood his ground. Although to rebuke that statement, if he ran screaming to the hills like a normal person. He might've not been in this situation in the first place.

Her eyes almost lazily scanned the clipboard as she stood only a few feet in front of him. Danny could then see that she was also wearing a black cotton dress pants with women's silver dress shoes. That, and the fact that she was a very tall individual.

 _Much_ taller than Danny.

Once more she flickered her eyes towards him "I must say, Danny Fenton, you're a rather unusual case. A face to face introduction is rarely, _if ever_ necessary. But after I've cross examined your files and your requirements for my services. There was simply no other choice."

"… my _files?_ Why do you have _files_ of me?! And who are you? Why the _hell_ would I require your services-"

"Because I'm fate" She said as the clipboard flickered and disappeared from her hand. "Or, at least a channel and catalyst of it." …Come to think of it, Danny realized that was the only remotely clear answer he got.

"Fate. Of course. Who else."

She raised her brows in amusement "I hope you realize that what I do at this point on isn't personal."

Danny even though it was now only a memory, he could almost feel the frantic beating of his heart as she said those words. He remembered how he widen his stance and how his body tensed, his hands curling into fists, ready for a fight. "And why is that- **AAAAHHG** "

Suddenly, Danny couldn't breath. As he was violently thrusted to the wall, silver wisps held him up, refusing to loosen their painful grip. It was in his _eyes_ , his _mouth_ , his _ears_. It pulsed in and out of every atom in his body and _painfully_. They wormed in and out of his body like _maggots_. A task as simple as breathing became a labor. He felt something being sucked out of him. A life force, a piece of him, something crucial, something _important_.

It wasn't hard to figure out later that 'something' was his memories.

Danny still feels that something else was robbed of him too, he just didn't know _what_.

He didn't know how long it went on. Him struggling and failing. Him trying to _breathe_ but only to feel as if he stole nothing but a breath of toxic cigarette smoke. How his mind frenzied like static and his tongue felt like a warp of cotton.

As the smog finally began to loosen up in the corner of his eye he saw another portal open below him. Except what was at the other end wasn't another room. Or an open space.

It was nothing but soil and tree roots.

He was going to be buried alive.

And as the wisps robbed him of the only support he had. He could do nothing but watch himself fall.

He didn't even have the energy to scream.

 **. . .**

Danny, once six feet in the air dangling by his feet was then six feet under.

 _literally_.

He didn't know which way was up or down. All he could tell from his surroundings was the consuming smell of damp soil and the feel of dirt in-between his fingers.

Danny presently looked down at the sleeve his earth-crusted red jacket. It was much better now than when he first crawled out. But that is the only positive remark he could say about it.

What saved him was the tree roots. Which to Danny was ironic in the sense that he thought that would be the very thing that would kill him by trapping him under the Earth. Those roots were the only thing that could tell him if he was digging in the right direction. If not for the roots, he might've just dug himself deeper into his grave.

What also helped was how soft the soil was.

He must've been quite a sight. Gasping for air and covered head to toes in dirt. Not even shivering in the otherwise freezing autumn rain.

And _that's_ how Danny first came into Burgess.


	2. Homless 101

Danny ran a hand feverishly through his slightly Earth dusted hair that was now straw-like because of the dirt, anxious to finally get all of it out. Much to his disappointment and assumption, it didn't change much. With a vexed scowl, he crossed his arms and gave up for the night.

Oh, what he would _give_ for a shower. He had half the mind to break in someone's house to do so.

He was _so tired_ of smelling like dirt and always feeling soil-coated stiff fabric rub against his skin. He was sure he had rashes in places best not mentioned. He already had irritated blurry red marks on his arms and legs with mysterious nicks and scars. He long ago drew the line at socks. Which, after three days of shoes was more than enough to made him decide that he was better off walking around barefooted.

In the malodorous rot-smelling, ally way where it's rotten scent so strong he could almost taste it, he sat cross legged. He looked up to the night sky. And gazed at the stars. For reasons, he could not explain, he didn't need as much sleep as he should've. At first, he thought he was suffering from insomnia. But with well done research (Google at the library). And the fact how his eyes didn't grow heavy with sleep as quickly as it should've. He found that he just didn't need to sleep for eight hours. In fact, If the giant clock on the tower at the town hall was correct, he only needed five.

Finally, Danny decided that he couldn't sleep, he might as well go for a walk. Where was all this pent-up energy coming from anyways?! Noting that he was practically vibrating from siting there for not very long, he must've been extremely active in his past life.

Burgess, at this ungodly hour, was like a ghost town. No pedestrians walked on the sidewalks, no cars came up and down the streets. For the most part, the entire place was deserted.

And it was _perfect_.

 _Deserted_ meant that nobody would be giving him concerned and pitiful sideway glances and scowls of disgust and disapproval. He could peacefully explore without any trouble or judgment. And certainly, without people scrunching up their noses at Danny's admittedly more than unpleasant smell.

Despite these unfortunate conditions of his 'life style'. He was very curious about this town, and rightfully so. As His thoughts and expectations about this place constantly fluctuate by the nychthemeron.

One's expectations of a place depends a lot on their first arrival. And since Danny's 'arrival' involved him popping out of the ground like a potato, his expectations were very diversified.

Which made it more surprising on how normal this town was.

At least, by day.

Danny had a damn near heart attack when he first saw the golden dust swirling and taking various hypnotic forms in the dead of night. His thoughts were along the line of "oh my god, I'm going to really be buried alive. And this time, it's gonna be by _magical glitter_."

Danny remembered a sigh of relief that the "magical glitter" didn't go amok and attempted to murder the town and himself in his sleep. And enjoyed the strange paranormal sightings ever since.

For something so strange and bizarre. It was surprisingly gentle. It held no malice, and what Danny later discovered as sand, held a subtle warmth to it. It held a soft almost childish glow that lit up the empty streets. Like a thousand shooting stars they flew through the sky twisting and turning, innocently exploring new forms. It also had a nice smell to it that he couldn't quite name. A sent akin to flowers and sweets. Even though it was sand without a doubt, it felt strangely smooth between his fingertips the few times he was brave enough to touch it.

Seeing the golden sand slowly appear once again into the crisp late autumn night soothed his worry's. For a short amount of time, he didn't worry about his next meal, about why he was put here at this place, why he was inhumanly immune to the cold, or even where he's from.

For this small window of time, he was just a kid enjoying the night sky.

"Um, hello?"

Danny's eyes widen at the unfamiliar voice. When he turned his head to the source, he saw that only a few yards before him was a woman in a Doctors uniform.

She tucked in a stand of brown hair that fell out of her messy pony tail "Are you lost?" As she stepped closer, as if approaching a wild animal, her eyes slightly widen as she could see with the weak lamp-post and dim crescent moon how _filthy_ the dark-haired boy was. As she looked up and down she saw how the edges of his clothes were torn and was more than concern over the fact that that he had nether socks nor shoes on his person.

Danny, however, took a step back.

The woman put her hands up, and halted to a stop. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself, did I? My name is Dr. Bennet but, you can call me Jossey." She cautiously tried to take another step to him. "Do... do you need any help?"

Danny shook his head and grinned, sheepishly scratching his cheek on the left side of his face. He wiggled his toes to get small concrete pebbles and dirt out without drawing too much attention from her "Naw, I'm fine. Thanks."

"You don't _look_ fine."

Danny bet whatever valuables has in his past life that this woman's a mom.

"It won't be much trouble, if that's what you're worrying about." Thanks to the golden illumines of the sand, and how she was now only a few feet away, Danny could see that she had maternal warm brown eyes. She also smelled like a hospital, but Danny was in absolutely no possession to judge. She shifted the plain blue bag on her right shoulder "Who are your parents? Do they know you're here?"

He began to take another step back. Even though it was a mystery, even to him whom his parents or even his care takers could be. He wasn't despite enough to dump his dump his problems on some _stranger_. Besides, he still didn't trust this place. Danny was here for a reason, he couldn't forget that no-matter _what_. And he still didn't know what the intensions of those reasons could be. He couldn't even figure out his middle _name_ , or if he even _had_ one. Let alone the town.

It's not like she would believe him anyway. People aren't just thrown into portals, people don't dig themselves out of enclosed holes in the earth, and kids like him don't trust doctors appearing out of no-where, coming home from the grave yard shift.

And that's why he ran.

"Wait!"

But it was too late. The night had already swallowed him up before she could follow.


	3. How to rescue an Unsuspecting Hero

Dr. Bennett decided that she was going to solve this complex issue the best way she could first chance she had the day following the strange course of events that happened in the dead of the night. And Dr. Bennett was indeed a keeper of her promises.

"You should have _seen_ him Jerry!" Jossey exclaimed as she pasted up and down the police station while she bit her lip and wrung her hands in mild distress. Her white fall coat flowing behind her as she went, rosy red high heels tapping against the floor melding with the ticking of the clock on the white painted brick wall. "His cloths were absolutely _filthy_. He looked almost terrified, well not _terrified_ per say but overly cautious and calculating for a teen his age-"

"And you saw this kid at _two o'clock in the morning_?!" The man in the navy-blue police uniform, Jerry, asked with disbelief and shock colored in his voice. "Do you think he was on drugs or a substitute of some sort?"

She shook her head "no, he seemed completely clear from what I could see. His pupils weren't dilated, he walked correctly and normally, his speech was clear. Whatever he was doing late at night, it wasn't drugs."

Officer Jerry Skiles leaned back in his leather scented chair in puzzlement. Both arms on the bumpy hand rests. Burgess was a small, diverse town. If something happened, the news spread like wildfire. And a dirt-encrusted kid appearing from no-where walking down cold streets barefooted was something he _defiantly_ would've herd earlier.

How was that that kid up so late anyways? One of the most well-known worldwide mysteries was that time zone aside, children fell asleep at relatively the same time despite what home conditions could be or what set time they were given by their parents. Except for a few rare occasions of course, but they were far from the norm. Adults were still affected, but at a much less greater scale. Adults had more control, it was then far more manipulative, and the timing wasn't nearly as exact as the children or early teens alike.

It was just as strange as the fact that only children under thirteen were ever recorded to have dreams.

Officer Skiles picked up a spiral notebook and looked back at Jossey. "Look, I'll tell the other guys when they get back from lunch break. Ok? We'll find this kid. Can you give me a detailed description of him Jossey?"

"No problem."

 _. . ._

Danny hated being homeless. He was hungry, he was thirsty, he was filthy, he practically lived in this alley way. But most of all-

 _he was bored out of his mind_.

Or, at least he was.

"Kid, you need to come with me." The man said with a gruff, stern voice.

Danny looked up and frowned, he honestly preferred being bored then trying to figure out how to best out run this cop. He narrowed his brows suspiciously "where's your badge?" He might not know who he is, or was, but that wasn't going to stop him from asking who this "cop" was for sure.

The man raised his brows in mild surprise. Out of his pocket, he showed him the badge. Danny closely analyzed the picture, looking back and forth of the photo and the cop as the man patiently held up his badge to the teen. In both the image and real life, they had curly brown hair and deep brown eyes with copper skin. When Danny seemed satisfied, the cop put the badge safely back in his pocket.

It was Danny's turn to be surprised when the cop sat down next to him, only a foot of space distancing them. The man turned to him, one hand on his raised knee, while the other relaxed by his side. The man smelled like soap. _God_ , Danny missed soap. "so, what's your name?"

Danny raised a brow as he scooted an inch or so away the man "Really? You tell me that I have to come with you, then you ask me my name?"

"Just answer the damn question."

"You first." Danny challenged.

The man gave him an uneven smile "fair enough, I'm Jerry Skiles, town cop. Now, who the hell are you?"

The first time in what felt like awhile, Danny returned the smile "I'm Danny Fenton, town vagrant. Nice ta' meet you." Danny, looking unsure, blinked as Jerry held out his hand.

"Well go on, shake it. It's not like I'm going to drag you out here."

Slowly and hesitantly Danny returned the gesture.

Jerry gave him a smug look, ignoring the dirt stains on his hand "See? Now that wasn't so hard."

Danny rolled his eyes, a small smile betraying his annoyed tone, let go of Jerry's hand. "Oh, go suck a lemon." He averted his eyes to the wall in front of him, trying his best to pretend not to notice the dirt now on Jerry's hand. Danny then moved another inch or so away.

Jerry looked at him bluntly "You know, you don't have to move away every few inches as we talk, right? We've already established that I'm not going to drag you out of here."

Danny leaned back on the wall and scowled "I was _trying_ to be considerate. I don't know if you have a sense of smell or not, but I smell like a pig sty."

Jerry nodded his head absentmindedly "true, but that's why you should come with me. If not anything else, you would _at least_ get a good shower out of it."

Danny turned quiet. Jerry could drive a hard bargain. But he wasn't sure if the officer could really help him. Danny wasn't sure of a lot of things. And he had a lot of problems that he didn't have the solution to. But did he have any chance of finding the answer to his problems alone? Probably not. But considering how he got here, _could_ he trust anything or anyone in this town?

However, Danny doubt he was going to find anything remotely close to the solution in the streets. Plus, he was _desperate_ for a shower. Ok, deep breaths Fenton "Alright, I'll come with you."

Jerry straightened up on the filth encrusted bricks "really? I mean, I thought it was going to take a lot more than using a shower as a bargaining chip."

Danny shook his head as he got up "nope." He then held out his hand to help Jerry up "where are we going anyways?"

Jerry wordlessly accepted "eh, here is where you'll take over. Just tell me a relative or something and I'll give you a ride." He jabbed a finger towards Danny's direction "No tricks, I'll look you up! If you're having family troubles though-"

Danny shook his head giving the officer a slightly guilty look " _yeah_ about that. I sort of can't." he shrugged

Jerry crossed his arms "what do you mean, you _can't_."

Danny scratched the back of his neck "well... um... you know what? I'll just show you and explain along the way."

 _. . ._

"Holy _shit_!"

Danny flinched at Jerry's voice, not because of the volume, but because the shell-shocked tonality of it. However, he didn't mention the discomfort. If roles were reversed, he would have been the same way.

For a while, they both stood in silence staring at the gasping hole in the designated park. A part of Danny didn't expect the hole to be there. That it would of only of been a fragment of his imagination from the lack of oxygen and shock. Or perhaps it would have been filled by a past-by or by someone whom managed the grounds. But instead, it stayed nearly untouched. There were a few minor changes though. The dirt settled from the time Danny spent in the streets, some places sunk while others stacked higher. He frowned when he could still see the claw marks, _his_ claw marks. While his head felt, numb and prickled at the memory, his stomach tightened and his palms gleamed with sweat as his heart raced.

He averted his gaze and instead followed the roots to the trunk. It was strange, really. This was the first time he saw the tree that saved him. It didn't look anything miraculous or special or grand at all despite the affect it had on him. Heck, it wasn't even a pretty tree. Danny smiled a bit at that. It was a common ash tree; its trunk was dark and smooth and its branches seemed to almost claw at the sky. Already it was bare from any leaves. It did smell nice though. The smell of wet moss was a dim green and brown that clung to its base.

Jerry broke the silence and snapped Danny out of his daze "So, you don't remember _anything_?"

Danny shook his head "not a thing." Then Danny paused for a moment, as if considering something "well, something's I still remember technically. I mean, it's not like I forgot how to read or write. Or how to talk, obviously. But it's small stuff like that. It's more of a muscle memory or instinct then anything. Like I don't know I can ride a bike until I try. Or, sometimes it's like I don't know what a bike is until I see one. Then it's like I never forgot. That kind of stuff." Danny put his hands into his jacket pockets "but I can't remember anything like places I've been or faces of people I've meet before I dug myself out."

Danny found himself disliking how cold, numb, and neutral his tone was, even to him. It sounded as though he was only listing several facts, or it was simply summary of events that happened to someone else. A stranger. Not what he himself went through.

Jerry turned his head towards his grey walkie talky that was clipped on his right shoulder and pressed the middle white worn button "Hey, Carol?"

A static voice came from it, " _Yeah Jerry?_ "

"I'm... I'm going to need a couple of guys to come over and look at this. I'm at the Argyle Park, a bit far from the east side of the lake."

" _You got it_ " the voice, Carol, promptly hung up.

For a while, the both once again stood in silence. The only sound filling the air was the brisling of the leaves that surrounded them and the quiet whistling of the wind.

Jerry sucked in a breath "come on, I'll get you that shower I promised you. God _knows_ you need it." He eyed Danny, whom could only stare and the gasping hole that seemed to mock him. The teen glared harder as if it would somehow answer his unspoken questions. Jerry gently grabbed his shoulder and lightly shook him. Danny blinked in realization, and looked up to the other man. Jerry never notice before how _small_ the teen was. How worn and torn he looked. How the teen's voice was dry and cracked from dehydration.

Jerry motioned his head towards the car. "while you take your shower, I'll get you some new cloths."

Danny shrugged, keeping his indifferent charade "sure, where?"

"My house, duh. Now go to the car."

"... can I go to the back seat?"

Jerry raised a brow "you realize I drove a police car here, right?"

Danny grinned "that's the point."

 _. . ._

Danny marveled at the white painted chipped door. Or, more pacifically, the doorknob. "It has a lock and _everything_."

"Kid, you haven't even stepped inside the bathroom yet."

Danny however, ignored Jerry's commit as he opened the door and flipped the lock. Locking and unlocking the door. A small click had never been _so satisfying_. The doorknob felt nice in his hand too, the worn cold metal fitted perfectly into his hand.

"Alright. That's weird. I'm going to get you clean cloths now, don't break anything while I'm gone. I mean, not like I have anything valuable, but yeah. Standards." Jerry wasn't sure why he even bothered. The kid wasn't paying attention anyways.

Jerry lightly pushed the teen inside "For god's sake. _Take a shower_."

As Jerry closed the door with the teen inside, he rolled his eyes as squawks of pure joy came from the other side from how " _well_ " the lights worked.

Dear gravy, what did Jerry signed himself up to?

 **Authors note: Please review! Like it? Dislike it? Talk about it!**


	4. Clues

His first unpleasant surprise was his hands. That after finally giving them a proper wash in the marble sink, his hands felt ruff and damaged with the scratches and nicks, even to him. he could see callus on his knuckles with scrapes deeper than what he would've liked. They looked as if they've never had a chance to heal. That they were always in use, in need. As his hands curved into fists he never realized how unsettling natural the motion was.

Danny let out a low whistle when he finally peeled off his jacket. Under it, all he had was what used to be a white undershirt. But even with that on, he could see scars layered on his arms, neck, and shoulders. Some were shaped like electric burns, others were like bite marks. Oh _god_ , there were so many _scars_. Some of them looked like he was hit with something akin to a _whip_ , others looked like he was slashed with a knife, or grazed with bullets. Some Danny could've sworn that they were one or two claw marks thrown in the mix. In deepness, the scars varied. Some were only a lingering line while others took about an inch off his skin, as if he barely escaped with that limb attached.

He looked away from the mirror and stumbled a couple of steps back, eyes wide in the steam filled room. His breaths began to quicken as his hands clanged to what was left of the worn undershirt. He could feel his heartbeat racing on his fingers as his mind swirled.

For the first time, he almost _didn't want_ to know who he was. He didn't want to know who or what made those scars. And he really didn't want to know who taught him, what forced him to curl his fists like second nature, to so easily, _too easily_ , drop into a fighting stance.

Almost.

While a piece of him want to tuck away this new discovery in the back folds of his mind, to reframe from asking anymore questions or to uncover what could be disturbing answers. Another part of him had a new desperation to find the truth.

Danny entertained the idea of showering with the rest of his clothes on. To not find out what was the rest of his gruesome collection of scars looked like. To not worry or think about anything except the sound of water droplets drumming the shower floor, the taste and comfort of clean water soothing his painfully dry, cracked throat and the smell of moist warm water washing away his earthy scent.

But these morbid souvenirs, these scars held clues. Already they told him one thing. One very important thing.

He was a _fighter_.

That despite what was done to him, whatever it was, that no matter what tragedy he endured. For whatever reason, he stood his ground. That instead of lying down, he learned to _fight_.

Danny took a deep breath, then braced himself.

And fighters don't take showers with their clothes on.

. . .

Dr. Bennett was the one that who finally asked the unspoken question. "Ok, what are we going to do with Danny?"

The coffee scented room, nearly strong enough to taste it, deafened with silence. The two social workers along with Jerry and Jossey glanced at each other.

A woman in her early forties, with a curly mess of greying red locks in a bun was the first to speak. "Right now, we don't have room in the nearby foster home but-"

Jossey shook her head "We are _not_ , putting him in a foster home."

The other social worker stepped in, she had smooth purple tented glasses with blond hair whom seemed to be in her late thirties "Then where do you suggest we put him? We just found this teen yesterday."

The woman gently pushed up her glasses to the bridge of her pale freckled spotted nose. "Dr. Bennett, I understand your request is tied in with your own history of being in the foster system. But the child has no-where to go and only just recently became a case. Unless someone takes him in until we can make him some room, the only other way is to put him back on the streets. Which is _not_ an option."

When the woman said this, she sounded tired almost pleading and yet determined. The dark bags under her eyes hinted that Jerry and Jossey weren't the only one that pondered over Danny's unusual predicament.

Jossey, however, squared her shoulders "I'll take Danny then-"

Jerry stared at her with a confounded look "Jossey, with all due respect. That's a _terrible_ idea." He took a deep breath "Look, no one in here knows anything about Danny, we don't know what he needs or even what kind of person he is. Right now, you're a single parent trying to raise two young children while juggling a full-time job."

Jossey looked just as bewildered then Jerry did earlier from those words then settled her expression to a light frown "Look, Jerry, I'll figure something out. I'll take care of him until Mrs. Gilchrist and Mrs. Beim can figure out a more permanent home for him."

Jerry shook his head "It's not you I'm worried about. Like we said, we don't know anything about Danny. What if he has ptsd?"

Jossey's protests died in her throat.

Jerry added "What if Danny can't be around other kids yet? For _at_ _least_ a month he had little to no contact to anyone, then suddenly he must share a house with two younger children and an adult? How is Danny going to react to that?"

Mrs. Gilchrist pushed up her glasses as she turned to Mrs. Beim, it looked like they didn't consider these possibilities yet ether.

Jerry crossed his arms, he could feel the Goosebumps starting to rise because of the cold sweeping in the small grey office room "And true, Danny's going to have to eventually deal with other people at some point. He needs to catch up on school work, _if_ we can even consider school a possibility at this point. So, there's the fact that we don't know what to expect from Danny in even a _public_ setting. And after all that, you expect him to ease unto a household of three? As great kids Sophie and Jamie are, I don't think they're going to be able to fully understand that, especially since us "adults" are just as lost on what to do as well."

The room once again silenced.

Jerry looked back to Jossey. He knew she wasn't going to give up. Knowing her since collage gave him a good idea on what she was going to do next. If no one else was going to take the Danny, then she will. And despite her protests, open heart and strong will. She won't be able to give Danny the best care and attention that he's going to need to get through this. Jerry pinched the bridge of his nose, he was really going to do this. Wasn't he? "... I'll take him."

"I'll take Danny."


	5. Unlikely meetings

"So, there's a _new_ kid?" Jack Frost said as he blithe and grinned with a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Jamie nodded among with the other kids "yeah, I don't know where he came from. But he's staying at Officer Jerry's place."

Jack glanced at the small group curiously "have you met this guy yet?"

Monty shook his head "Nope. Not yet."

Jack felt his curiosity grow within him. With nothing better to do, he shrugged "Well then, let's go met this " _Danny_ " person."

 _. . ._

Danny gave the group of children all a calculating and curious look as he opened the door. As casually as he could, Danny covered the masses of scares on his neck with his new black sweater. Even though it covered it on its own just fine. "Err, hello?"

Much to Danny's both discomfort and amusement, all the children then had fits of mischievous giggles. Almost as if they knew something he didn't.

A ten-year-old boy with brown hair that looked very familiar was the first to step forward. "um, hey. I'm Jamie Bennett." Danny smiled at that, no wonder the boy or "Jamie" looked so familiar. Jamie turned around to face his friends and gestured to each one of them as he told Danny their names.

"This is Cupcake"

A stocky and intimidating girl with a pink tutu waved her hand "hi."

Jamie pointed to another girl with blond hair with a rosy hat "This is Pippa."

"'Sup"

"That dude over there is Claude"

A kid with dark curls of hair put his frigid hands into his rich blue coat pockets "Hey man."

Finally, Jamie pointed to two nearly identical boys "Last but certainly not least, the twins, Caleb and Monty"

Monty pushed up his glasses up to the bridge of his red nose "um, hello?"

Caleb shifted his Jacket to find a better way to block the cold " W-Whaz up."

Danny looked as though he was about to say something, but stopped himself as he saw a lone silver haired teen balancing miraculously well on the crook of a shepherds' staff. Danny faintly wondered if the teen was in some strange cosplay.

But even if the unusual teen was, Danny couldn't deny how otherworldly the other seemed. The guy seemed to almost blend in with the snow now falling in wild flurries around them, especially since fragments of frost seemed to nearly hypnotically cling, grow and shift on his blue hoody. How the teen's nearly impish fetchers were apparent even as his mischievous grin turned into one of bemusement as he suddenly dropped the snowball (that seemed suspiciously aimed at Danny) in his left hand.

Danny looked back at Jamie "Alright, thanks" Danny then gestured his head towards the mysterious blue boy "but who's _that_?"

Jamie, confused, tried to look at who Danny meant "You mean Pippa? I thought I already told you-"

Danny shook his head "no, I know who she is. I mean the guy behind her."

The children's' all-knowing smirks suddenly seemed to drop into pure shock. The silver hair boy, before _oh-so-carefully_ balanced on his staff suddenly crashed to the ground with his eyes full of disbelief.

Danny's eyes widen as he raced over, effortlessly dodging and jumping over the children crowding his doorway to help the teen up "Are you ok?!"

As Danny grabbed the boy's hand to help him up, he blinked in a subtle surprise. The teens hand was surprisingly frigid. While every other person he came close to burned almost _painfully_ in a radiance of warmth, the teens frigorific presents felt bizarrely... _comfortable_.

And his eyes. For a second, Danny _swore_ that he had to remind himself to breathe. The other teen's eyes were an electric brandeis blue. Looking at the other boy, Danny felt something rushed from the tip of his toes to his head. It was like the drop off a roller coaster.

Except for it being only a mere few and wild seconds, the feeling _stayed_.

This, however, did not help Danny as the other boy looked at him as if he committed some sort of idiosyncrasy like akin to growing two heads.

As uneasiness rose into unfamiliar levels within him, Danny tore away his gaze. He ignored a strange twinge of regret as he grabbed the other teen's staff and handed it to him. "I think you dropped this. Or, more accurately, it dropped you?"

The paled hair teen, however, barely responded as he gaped at Danny.

Danny looked down to see if he had anything strange on his sweater or his grey sweat pants. He also did a very careful job of hiding his scars and what not. As far as Danny could tell, he looked fine.

He looked back to see if the kids could tell him what was wrong. But before he could even open his mouth, Danny could already see that they fared no better than Jack.

Danny could feel uncomfortably moist sweat trickle down his forehead. He suddenly had the very. Strong. urge to go back inside and pretended that this _never happened_.

But as he looked back at the blue-eyed teen, Danny didn't even have the time to step back to regain his balance as the wind toppled him over to his back and on his forearms as it screamed in his ears.

Then just like that, the silver haired boy was gone.

Danny's jaw dropped. And rightfully so. He didn't even notice the crisp snow soaking onto his clothes "Did- _did that guy just FLY away_?!"

The kids looked at each other, searching one another for a way to answer this series of bizarre events "umm..."

Jamie was the first to properly respond (somewhat) "yeah. Uh. _Itwasreallynicemeetingyoubutwegottago_ BYE!"

And like that, the children were gone as well. Leaving Danny thoroughly bewildered in the snow.

 ***Authors note***

 **heyo, didn't leave one of these in a while. Anyway, I would like to thank Pterodactyl for their constructive criticism (for that is always welcomed). And ummm, yeah. I notice that I mix up my homophones as well. *I'm am sooo sorry for those by the way* I try my best to correct them, however, my dyslexia and ADHD makes it hard to notice my mistakes. Thankfully, grammar, Google and spell check exists but they don't fix everything. But that's not really an excuse and I** _ **will**_ **continue to work on it.**

 **Also, I have this fanfiction on Danny Phantom because it mostly leans on Danny's point of view (in third person) and more people go on here rather than the crossover section. I thought it would be fine because I mentioned Jack Frost in the summery, so people would know what they're getting into.**

 **However, if most of you guys think if I should put it back on the crossover section, I'll do that with no problem. And Please, REVEW!**


	6. Pondering Impossibility's

"Holy _crap_ , Jack he _saw_ you!" Jamie said as he took deep breaths from running.

As ungraceful and as blunt as it was, it _did_ sum up exactly what Jack felt at this crucial moment.

Monty looked back at Jack when he finally caught his breath "Is- is that even possible?! Can teens and grown-ups see spirits too?"

"He touched my staff."

Cupcake gave Jack a concerned look then glanced back at the rest of the group "umm, guys? I think Danny broke Jack."

The other children stared at Jack in his disoriented state and nodded.

Jack ran a hand through his platinum hair "He _touched_ my _staff_ "

Pippa looked at him worryingly "You said that twice now."

Caleb glanced at Jack then looked back at Claude "... Do you think we should do something?"

"Do I _look_ like a doctor to you?"

Caleb glared at Claude "I think the correct profession is a _therapist,_ you doofus."

Jack, however, paid no attention to the group wondering about his sanity. He was too busy questioning his reality. Already his thoughts were spinning "He- he _saw_ me. He touched my _hand_. He's my age and _he saw me holy cow_." Jack blinked "well, not actually my age. But physically my age." Jack paused for a moment and was finally aware of the other children around him, even to him his voice sounded like he was struck dumb "... do you think he's actually a teenager, or just a really old looking kid?"

Cupcake did a facepalm "Jack, I think it's time that you processed the simple fact that a teenager saw you and was able to make physical contact with you."

Jack stared blankly at her.

Cupcake huffed and bopped him on the top of his head. "REBOOT!"

Jack hissed in both annoyance and pain "Ow! Was that really necessary?!"

Caleb smirked "maybe not, but it was sure fun to watch."

Jack gave him a light glare, but a small smile betrayed him.

Jamie shook his head "ok, back to the 'Danny problem' before we go completely off topic" he turned to Jack "so, seriously, how common is it really for a teen to see a spirit."

Jack shook his head, still in mild disbelief "I've been alive for over three hundred years. And I've _never_ had a teen or adult be able to see me."

Pippa blinked at that "wow. Ok, very rare then."

Jack shrugged with his grin widening as he began to rant when realization was finally dawning to him that a _teen saw him_. "I mean, I've heard from older spirits that adults and such have been able to see spirits. But only a few spirits had said something like that has ever happened to them."

Jack paused for a moment and furrowed his brows "but in all the stories I've heard, no teen or adult had been able to have physical contact with them. Or their most prized possession."

The kids gave each other a questioning look then Jamie raised a brow at Jack "Prized possessions?"

Jack nodded nonchalantly "If they have one, Mine is my staff."

Monty tilted his head "why is important that adults and teenagers have never been able to touch a spirit's most prized possession?"

Jack leaned towards them "because _no mortal_ can touch a spirit prized possession."

Claude's eyes widen "not even us kids?!"

Jack answered by straightening his back and sweeping his shepherd's staff effortlessly through them like thin air. Cupcake's eyes widen " _whoa_."

Jack nodded as he leaned back on his staff "'whoa' indeed."

For a while the group silently mulled over these new bits of information. Caleb looked back up at Jack "so, what now?"

Jack felt his mouth dry. He honestly had no idea on what he should do next. He never even _heard_ of such stories of teens like Danny. Should he confront him? Does Jack _need_ to do something? Should he even to do anything at all, and just ignore the event all together? What does a spirit do when a sixteen-year-old looking kid can see him, when it's impossible?

Or, it _was_ impossible.

Pippa was the one that finally broke the silence "I think a great start would be to tell him your name, Jack"

"Wait, I didn't tell Danny my name?"

Cupcake shook her head "Nope. You kinda spent the whole time gawking at him like a fish out of water."

Monty re-adjusted his glasses "well, to be fair, so did we." he shrugged "but, you more so then us. So, no offence, but yeah. A fish out of water. That was you."

Jack opened his mouth to say something then closed it "ok, points to you." He looked around and rubbed the back of his neck nervously "so... when do you think I should do it?"

Claude shrugged "there's no time like the present man."

 _. . ._

When Jack came back, he realized that Danny hadn't moved an _inch_ since their meeting occurred. Danny lay there, with his eyes wide and short gasping breaths. He didn't notice how his clothes had snow sweeping in.

Now not being in shock or denial, Jack finally had a good look at Danny. His hair was as dark as the night sky and his eyes were a strange, almost unnatural, and neon green and a sky blue that seemed to glow like newly born stars.

A branch snapped.

Danny blinked.

Finally, he seemed to be pulled back to reality as he finally seemed to realize his surroundings. Danny looked down and scowled "aw crap, my clothes got snow in them."

Jack shrugged as he sat next to him "Yeah, about that, my bad."

Danny's eyes narrowed at Jack's voice. Before Jack could blink Danny had in one swift movement grabbed him, knocked him down into the snow and pinned his arms behind Jack's back. Snow flying as from Danny's speed and strength as he did so.

Jack's eyes widen as he tried to process what had just happened and began to struggle without any luck of escaping.

 _What_ in the _moon's name_ was going on?!

But before Jack could open his mouth to protest, scream, or use his staff that was currently being used to help pin him down. He felt the pressure suddenly lessen as his wrists were then free. Without the support, Jack fell face-first into the snow. Or, he was about to before Danny caught him and gently set him down.

"I'm- I'm sorry!" Danny ran his hand through his hair as he tried to look at anything but Jack "I don't know what happened!"

But Jack tuned out Danny's rant, for all he did was stare. Now that Jack was much closer to Danny, he could see faint freckles spiraled across his nose and cheeks. However, Jack pushed this new discovery to the corners of his mind as he got up "how does someone accidentally, _professionally_ , pin someone to the ground?" Jack had his usual good-humor smirk as he said this.

For a moment, Danny seemed to of been struck speechless before he slumped his shoulders. " I honestly have no idea how."

Jack snorted. "Well, to be fair. I was pathetically easy to capture."

Danny nodded "True."

Jack faked a gasp as he put his hand over where his heart was supposed to be. "you _wound_ me Danny. I might never be the same because of this."

Danny shrugged "Meh, you'll get over it."

After a long pause, Jack crossed his arms "rude."

Danny then blinked in realization and glared at Jack suspiciously, taking a cautious step back. "... how did you know my name?"

Before Jack could open his mouth, they both turned to a familiar voice.

"Sorry Danny!" Jamie took deep breaths "That was my fault. I told Jack your name." Soon the other kids began to show up behind Jamie as they were gasping for air.

Jack swallowed a gasp as Danny then eyed Jack with his ever-glowing twin star eyes. "Your name is Jack?"

Jack beamed "yup. I'm Jack Frost."

Danny stared at Jack blankly, a smile slowly evolving on his face "... _pfft_ Seriously?! Your name is _Jack Frost_? That's like calling me Danny skin-bag."

Jack raised a brow, doing his best to ignore the children's giggles "Uh, no, it isn't."

Danny gave Jack a charismatic lopsided grin that made Jack's pulse hiccup "Why not?"

Jack rolled his eyes "because I'm not actually made from Frost. _That's_ the difference."

At that Danny let out a full blown, lung-busting laugh "alright Jack Frost" he then held out his hand "I'm Danny Fenton."

 ***Authors note* Alright, heads up. I'm going to now put this it the crossover section. So, if you can't find this fic, look there. Just a warning before I do so.**


	7. Authors note

Hey guys, this is just an author note (don't worry I'm still doing the story) but I forgot to thank AzelforestdA for their amazing editing skills that made the story so much richer. Also, AzelforestdA Did some fanart! Please check out her deviantart Account That uses the same username. The fanart is called Twin Stars.


	8. Something Dark In The Making

"I don't see why we need to free _Pitch_ for this to work." Hittite snarled as she glared at Furor.

Furor gave her a cold glance; his monstrous form and temper were already forming on his fetchers "Pitch has an _army_. A loyal army that has no _imperfections_. They don't have a will, they don't have opinions, and it doesn't matter if they are eliminated. More will show up. They are the perfect toys for this..." His lips snarled into an unnaturally widen gin, literally stretching ear to ear. " _game_."

Hittite crossed her arms "But Pitch is a _pathetic_ alley otherwise. So, he can get a couple of kids to wet their pants. Great. **B** u _t_ _**I**_..." The room shook, objects began to levitate as the walls bleed a red so thick it began to blacken as it pooled onto the floors. Her eyes glowed like to flashlights as her shadow raged tossing objects left and right. "But I am TERROR! I'VE DRIVEN A MANY TO _MADNESS_. I-"

Before she could finish, long fingers enclosed around her throat as she was shoved against the wall and pushed down to the ground. The objects crashed. The shadow stilled and scurried back to its owner. The tension in the air was thick as the blood soaked through her white and torn gown.

Furor looked at her with an eerie calmness. His form flinched, shifted, bubbled and gurgled in a shade exact to the red on the walls. He even smelled like freshly spilled blood, and it was the only scent that dominated the room. "That may be so, Hittite. However-" he leaned closer, taking a sadistic enjoyment of seeing her shiver in horror. He was in a quiet aw of how the panic rolled off her in waves.

She was terrified. And he was _fascinated_.

Furor forced his mind to go back on track. There was a plan, a system. He could have all the joy's and spoils of provoking this amusing reaction later.

He released her throat. His form settled back into a nicely dressed, clean shaven man. The earlier excitement eradicated from the air. "You don't have an army. You may have the talent and power. But you don't have the resources I _need_."

She quickly scrambled to her feet.

He narrowed his eyes "As "pathetic" and powerless of an alley that you deemed him to be. Pitch is organized, and admiringly resourceful." He gave her a one-armed shrug "and you're, not."

Furor had to give credit where it was due. Instead of whimpering or cowering back like Furor had desired her to react, Hittite held her head up high in defiance. Nearly boasting of the fingerprint bruises that danced across her skin on her neck. Suddenly, Furor was paralyzed in place. No doubt it was her magic at work. "That may be true. But Pitch has _never_ won. Not even once. Even though he could form an _entire army_ , all it takes is _five Guardians_ to beat him."

She released him. "I propose that we take the army and get rid the 'commander'."

He raised a brow "and _how_ do you suggest we do that?" Furor crossed his arms "both Pitch and his Nightmares are tied. Kill him, and we lose the army."

Her grin widened "Who ever said that we had to kill him? There're are other ways to get him out of the big picture."

Furor teeth gleamed. He was suddenly looking forward to working with his new partner.


	9. Convenient Thought's

Alice looked at Fate as she stepped into the room. "So, mind telling me why you plucked a boy from one dimension into ours? I would _love_ to know." She didn't sound hash or judgmental, just curious. An example of one of the many reasons why Fate loved Alice, she understood that her job wasn't just sunshine and daisy's. Perhaps it had to do with Alice being the spirit of convenience, and _inconvenience_.

Fate glanced at Alice, a spirit whom looked like a flapper from the 1920's. Sleek black hair in a bob with a dress as red as her cherry colored lipstick. And as always, she had a cigarette dancing between her fingers. "Alice, you know how it works. I just do what I know needs to get done and I know how to do it the most effectively. But I never know _why_."

Alice gave her a charismatic smile, showing her pearly teeth "Well I mean, sometimes you _do_ have an idea of what's going on."

Fate snorted "Only when history repeats itself."

Alice shrugged " You can't blame me for asking. And you must admit, this is a rather... _particular_ case."

Fate hummed in agreement. Sending a mortal, a _boy_ no less into a different dimension was _certainly_ something. Striping the young teen of his memories and putting a blockage on ability's she's sure Danny could not possibly possess? Unusual. But a face to face introduction? That was _never_ necessary. It was never even _considered_.

Fate sat down by the orange colored counter, soon to be joined by Alice "I must admit Alice, this assignment has me just as puzzled as you. If not more."

Alice gleamed like the Chester cat "I must say though, this mystery is rather amusing, isn't it? Much more befuddling than the norm."

Fate smiled "only _you_ would find this fun. In any fashion."

Alice shrugged "and you don't? In all the decades you and I had worked together, nothing like this has ever happened."

"Yes, but _why_ " Fate said as she played with a loose strand of dark hair that escaped from her hijab "Most of the time, things snowball from minor "conveniences" then into something much bigger that what you or I could have imagined. For a series of events to start of like _this_ -"

Alice cut her off "It _could_ mean nothing."

At Fate's bewildered looks Alice elaborated "I mean consider this, how many times did we have to do these huge and borderline _ridiculous_ things just to get something minor started? That in the end, only caused a personal change." she gave a one-armed shrug "not that its less important. But what if?"

Fate looked doubtful.

"Hey, I'm allowed to be optimistic Fate."

"There's a thin line between optimistic and _delusional_ , Alice."

Alice looked as she was about to say something but reconsidered and blinked in realization. "What was up with you burying the kid anyway? How was _that_ supposed to help?

"Oh, that?" Fate grinned " _That_ was for fun." Plus, Fate knew that Danny would survive, she just wanted to see it in action.

Alice smiled. Fate always did have a love for dramatics.


	10. A Story teller's tale

"Wait, hold the phone. Now give the phone to me, you're _the_ Jack Frost?"

"The one and only."

Danny raised a brow "As in, the Jack Frost. The snowy guy that brings snowstorms and what-not that's in the book of fables Jamie gave me?"

Jack beamed, he was probably enjoying this more than he should "yup."

Danny narrowed his eyes in mild suspicion as he leans against the bed frame from where he sat on the floor "How _old_ are you exactly?" he then brought a clear glass of water to his lips as he waited for his answer.

"Three hundred and seventeen."

Danny's eyes widen as he choked when he spits his drink "w- _what_?!"

Jack narrowly avoided the spray of water. If he was honest, Jack didn't know whether to laugh or be moderately offended.

Danny shifted from where he sat on the floor "well, if it of any consolation. You look great for a person your age."

Jack snorted "yeah. Thanks. But for the record, mentally for the most part, I'm still seventeen." He grinned "or, eight, depending on who you ask."

Jack finally looked around the room. Danny's bedroom looked relevantly new, the walls were a blank grey and aside from a bed, nightstand and dresser. There was an alarm clock, but that was it. It was obvious that this room was once a guest room, or had only been recently occupied.

It wasn't much to look at, but Jack couldn't help but marvel it. "You know, I think this the first time I've been invited to someone's house." If his numbers were right, Jack had only been in a mortal house three times. All of them consisted from a year ago, when Pitch attacked Jamie's house.

Danny glanced at him curiously "really?"

When Danny's twin star eyes pierced through him once more Jack felt his stomach flip.

Ignoring his inner conflict, Jack nodded "Well, it would be kinda creepy otherwise. No one being able to see me and all." The ceiling wasn't tall enough for Jack to balance on the top of his staff, so he settled on sitting gargoyle style on the worn nightstand.

Danny frowned "... no one being able to see you?"

Jack slowly nodded "Yeah, speaking of which, I've been meaning to ask."

Danny looked at him "yes?"

Jack glanced at him curiously "how... how did you do it?"

Danny blinked "do what? Flip you over? It's actually kinda easy-"

Jack shook his head while giving Danny a small smile "No, I mean... how were you able to see me? Aside from you, adults and teens can't see me. _Heck_ , most _kids_ can't see me."

Danny froze, although he supposed that he really shouldn't be too surprised. It did explain a lot, like how the other younger kids and Jack were thunderstruck by Danny even recognizing Jacks presence.

But _still_. It's not exactly an everyday occurrence when someone tells you that your seeing things that most people can't. "Wait. What do you mean, _most people can't_ _ **see**_ _you_?!"

Jack let out a sigh as he swiftly moved on to the bed and sat down pretzel style. Danny soon followed his lead as he waited for an explanation "Danny, once a mortal reaches thirteen- fourteen if they're lucky. They can't see spirits. Even if they still believe, no one knows why. But they just _can't_ anymore"

Jack began to wring his hands nervously. "Yeah sure, there are a few rare cases that a kid grows up being able to see spirits..."

Danny raised a brow "... But?"

Jack took a deep breath "But they can't have physical contact, its literally impossible. Unless the belief around that spirit is akin to mortals believing that they're a _god_ by a large group of people, but that doesn't really happen anymore."

Danny blinked "what does belief have to do with whither a person can see a spirit or not?" Danny's eyes widen "Are you telling me, that not only me, a sixteen-year-old kid shouldn't be able to even acknowledge your existence." Danny took a deep breath "but that to even consider the possibility of _anyone_ being able to see you, they have to believe in your existence without really any proof what-so-ever?"

Jack nodded "That just about sums it up."

Danny slouched from where he sat "Wow. That's rough man."

Jack tore his gaze from Danny and looked down at the floor "It is, but you get used to it."

Danny narrowed his eyes "but that doesn't mean you _should_."

Jack shrugged "It's not like I can change it, it's the way things work." He hummed "anyways, is it alright if I try something?"

Danny didn't look quite ready to let the subject drop but he let it go anyways "Go ahead."

Jack handed Danny his staff "could you... is it alright if you hold onto this for a second?"

Danny gave him a mildly confused look as he reached for the staff and held it close to him "Um... sure?"

Before Danny's contact with the shepherd's staff was too brief for him to notice but the staff had a gentle pulse to it, a hum almost. Exactly like a heartbeat. As soon as he felt it, Danny's eyes widen. He began to connect the dots "I'm guessing that I shouldn't be able to hold this ether, right?"

Jack shook his head, slightly dazed. Even with the distance he could almost feel the gentle grip Danny had on his staff, it tugged on his chest like how it would feel if Danny had a hold on his heart instead. Not that there was much of a difference. "No. A mortal can't touch a spirits' prized possession."

Danny traced the frost patterns, losing and reassuring his hold like he was holding a valuable as delicate as glass "prized possession, huh?" He looked back up to Jack "Didn't you already know that I could hold your staff? I gave this back to you two days ago, when we first met."

Jack still hasn't been able to look away from his staff in Danny's hands as he gave it back to Jack "Yeah, I remembered. I just needed to make sure."

Jack suddenly blinked in realization "aren't you worried that Jerry might hear you and think that you're talking to yourself?"

Jack didn't know if he imagined it or not but Danny's face seemed to downcast before it was replaced with a smug grin. "It's alright." Danny beamed with pride "I soundproofed the room."

Jack raised a brow "Really? How long ago?"

Danny gave a mild shrug "recently. But never mind that, tell me more of your history and spirits and culture."

Jack turned into a faded shade of red "Are you sure? I mean, you gotta be tired of me talking at this point."

Danny smiled as he put his elbow on his knee and rested his head on his right hand "Are you kidding me?! This stuff is _fascinating_!" He leaned forward "Plus, you're over three hundred years old. That leaves plenty of room for mishaps and adventures. In other words? _Color me intrigued_!"

Jack gave him a soft smile as he leaned against his staff "you know, you've got to tell me about yourself sometime."

Danny forced a smile "I know." then his smile became more genuine, yet bittersweet "But right now..."

"I'll settle for your stories."


	11. Nightmares

Danny's room had been completely silent. For days, Jerry couldn't hear a thing. And at first, Jerry didn't pay much mind to it. The kid wasn't really in there unless he was sleeping or getting changed. So, he figured that there wasn't something to worry about. He didn't think that he would need to pay attention to such things. After all, how many kids does a person hear of that _soundproofs their room_.

But that was before the sleep walking, that was before the night terrors. The screams, _the horrible, horrible screams_.

Teenagers and adults don't get nightmares, they don't have night terrors and they don't scream in their sleep. All of that only happens to _children_. And children _alone_. Even then, its rare and strange.

But Jerry should've only expected the strange from a boy like Danny.

Looking at Danny's eyes, which were wide and glazed and wild, Jerry suddenly realized that he had no idea how to handle someone in the middle of a night terror.

Jerrys' whole system flooded with panic. If the situation wasn't bad enough, they were both in the _kitchen_. _Of all the places_.

A room which has lots of sharp pointy objects. Like knives for instance.

Danny's hands dug into his scalp, all of his words were coming in rushed gibberish "Mom, dad _I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry- OH GOD MAKE IT STOP! Makeitstopmakeitstopmakeitstop!"_ Danny curled himself deeper into the corner in a way where his head almost touched the tile floor, his form twisted so much that Jerry almost thought that his body would break in half. "Please, I'm _your son_."

Jerry tried to shake himself out of his paralysis, this was _far_ different from the cool and collected kid he had come to know. The first think that came in mind was to try and wake Danny up.

"Danny, Danny please, wake up! _Wake up_. WAKE UP!" Jerry tried to get closer to shake his shoulders to jerk him out of Danny's hellish nightmare.

But as soon as Jerry's hands grabbed ahold of the boy's shoulders, Danny's eyes widen. The next thing Jerry knew, was that there was a burning pain in his back as the wall crunched from the contact as Jerry wheezed the oxygen out of his lungs.

Jerry was too busy trying to think of a solution to the night terror and regain his breath to be grateful that he landed in a way where he didn't break any bones.

Then, Jerry eyed the sink.

 _Perfect_.

He moved as fast as his bruised body could allow, grabbed the hose and prayed that this would work.

Jerry turned on the sink, aimed and pressed the nozzle.

The water flow was weak, Jerry doubt that it'll would work.

Suddenly, Danny sat up and look around him with a blank yet befuddled look. " _Wha_ -what happened?" Danny lifted his arms as he looked down at his green long sleeved shirt with blue and white striped pajama pants "Why am I all _wet_?" Danny looked up at Jerry "and how did I get here- "

Jerry could only imagen what he must look like to the teen. With his clammy skin, looking as though he had been through a fight. Which wasn't far from the truth. He must've especially looked crazy wearing only blue boxers and a white t-shirt. Jerry tried to even his breathing "Danny, go to bed."

Danny didn't move "do you need help cleaning up? Cause I could- "

"Danny just, go upstairs. I'll clean up." Jerry paused "we can talk about this in the morning."

Danny slowly got up from his knees "Oh, uh… ok?" He looked around the room, his eyes widen when he saw how much damage was done in the kitchen "Are you sure that you don't need any help?"

"I'm sure."

"Um, alright." Usually, Danny would put up a fight. But the air was so heavy with a prickly tension. Danny eyes flickered to the hole in the wall and back to Jerry "… If you say so."

With that, Danny disappeared up the flight of stairs, swallowed by the darkness. Not that Danny ever seemed to need a light.


	12. Building Blocks

Danny hated warmth. Well, perhaps hate came on a bit strong, but it didn't make it any less true. At best, the heat was annoying. At the worse, it was almost unbearable. Usually, it was borderline nauseating. Danny could wear a short sleeve shirt and in the cold for hours with complete and uncanny comfort. This was why Danny never minded, not even noticing when Jack made the room drop over ten degrees, or even occasionally in the negatives.

The only reason why he always wore long sleeves was to hide the scars. He _needed_ to hide them. From both other people and himself. He needed to pretend that they weren't there. Or that there was a whole side of himself that he didn't even know.

With this in mind, it only irked him further when his own body supplied its own source of warmth. It was a complete betrayal. Like he was being cheated, almost. His hands sweated, and his heart, which usually pulsed sluggishly, raced in his ribcage.

He resisted every urge to roll up his sleeves or take off the new yet worn neon green jacket.

It must've been a strange sight. Danny, sitting at the end of the bed, fully clothed. Windows opened. Waiting.

Danny sat there for a long, long time. The shadows shifted across the room as the time ticked by, all too slow and yet all too soon.

His skin tingled and all of his senses burned, making his head swirl. The room smelled too stale, the clothes irritated his skin and the dim light poked holes into his skull. And of course, the _Warmth_. Danny believed that the best word for this would be _sensory overload_.

Danny's eyes snapped up wide and he bristled as the door opened. Jerry looked the same as he did from last night, it seemed that he just woke up.

Jerry glanced at him and blinked in surprise "err- how long have you been waiting here?"

Danny swallowed. It didn't make a difference, his throat felt as dry, if not dryer than when he clawed himself out of the earth "not long." he lied.

From the look that Jerry was giving him, he didn't quite believe Danny. But let it go "... anyways. Do you want to go down stairs and eat some breakfast?"

Danny didn't feel hungry, but he nodded anyway. "Sure,"

 _. . ._

"Do you remember it, the dream? Or anything else?"

Danny's fork stopped midway above his untouched pancakes that were basked in honey. He slowly put the fork on the table, gently. "No," He wrung his hands under the table "I really don't remember anything."

Danny was going to get kicked out, wasn't he? Judging by the hole in the wall, he probably deserves it.

Jerry both stared at him and through him.

Danny rethought his earlier statement "But I do remember knives." Danny forced himself not to shudder "Knives and green. Lots of it." _Too_ much of it. He also remembered the feeling of horror trapeze down his spine and fear swelling within his bones till he thought they would shatter. But he was going to keep that to _himself_.

Feelings, gleams of knives and green. That's not much to go off by. Yet he felt like he remembered too much at the same time.

Jerry was the first to change the subject by waving and pointing his fork at Danny "By the way, how on _earth_ did you soundproof your room?"

"oh, I stuffed newspapers and stuff inside the walls." Danny paused "I could remove it if you want."

Jerry stared at him incredulously "How the _hell_ did you-"

Danny's and Jerry's glaze flickered to the door when the doorbell rang.

Danny turned back at Jerry "You're having people over?"

Jerry looked at Danny and shrugged "It's my Aunt Sara." He looked back at the door "I didn't expect her to come her so _early_ though. I was going to tell you that she was coming later-"

"Sara" banged on the door.

Jerry looked at his attar, waved it off, got up from his chair and went to answer the door.

As the door opened, Danny faintly wondered how on earth they were related. Sara looked more like a deflated frog then a person. Every time she blinked, Danny swore that he could hear the layers of makeup on her eyes make a squishing sound, even though she was down the long hallway and just came in. She lowered her sunglasses to the tip of her tanned nose and analyzed Jerry up and down "... hon, you look like one hot mess."

Jerry looked like he couldn't care less, and frowned.

If Danny squinted, he could see that they both had the same nose. But that's where the resemblance ended.

Sara peered over Jerry's shoulder and glanced at Danny. As soon as she caught sight of him, she lit up. "Oh, hello there!"

Suddenly, she sashayed her way next to Danny. She smelled like leather and perfume. "By the way, do you like tootsie pops?"

Danny stared.

Without waiting for a reply, she placed a red one in his hand "Who am I kidding? Everyone loves tootsie pops!" She had a long Island accent.

Danny looked at the tootsie pop in his hand, then back at Sara "Um... thanks, Sara."

She showed him a wide, warm smile and waved her hand "No problem, don't even mention it. And you can call me Great Aunt Sara." She hesitated "Know what? Great Aunt sounds so _old_. You could also call me, Graunty Sara! Call me whatever you want, hon."

Danny couldn't hold back a disbelieving look at this flamboyantly eccentric and open woman.

"Ya' don't talk much, do you?" Sara paused "Not that's a terrible thing."

Danny found himself warming up to 'Graunty' Sara. "Thanks? I think?"

She grins "ah, he speaks!" she and Jerry then give each other a kind of look that adults have when they want to talk about something that they don't think you should hear. "Um, hon, do you want to go outside for a bit?"

Danny isn't duped, but the fresh air and walk would be more than appreciated. He slides his chair back and stood up. "Sure, I don't mind."

 _. . ._

It was quiet, except for the wind with the occasional bristle of the leaves and branches.

Too quiet.

Danny pulled his knees closer to his chin and stared silently, almost longingly at the hole in the ground, still untouched. Save for the neon yellow police tape.

He hated this place.

He hated how little he knew, he hated the loneliness that gnawed in him, he hated the homesickness that made his stomach turn. And what he hated most, was that he didn't even know _why_.

This place did nothing but remind him of that. It flaunted him with answers he couldn't even grasp. The what's, how's and whys that was at the tip of his tongue and buried at the end of his mind. But he couldn't _reach_ it.

He _hated_ this place.

And yet...

Despite it all, this was the only place that he felt comfortable abandoning his jacket. By this ditch in the ground, it was the only place that gave him any sense on where he came from. This was the only spot where he didn't feel the need to hide anything. Maybe it was because this place already knew more about him then he knew himself.

He felt so _confused_.

Danny jolted when he heard footsteps.

Jack's warm and pleasantly surprised smile faded when he saw the scars that Danny's arms bared.

With his jacket out of reach, Danny tried to cover his scars by crossing his arms. But even Danny knew that his efforts where in vain. Danny nervously chuckled "I guess there's a lot that we don't know about each other, huh?"

Jack nodded absentmindedly in shock as he sat down pretzel style next to Danny. "No, I guess not." Jack shrugged "But we only knew each other for like what, a week? There's not really much to say or know about a person in that time span." Jack paused "... What's your favorite color?"

Danny loosened his grip on his own arms in surprise "What?"

"What's your favorite color? I mean, I just realize that I never asked before."

He stared wordlessly at Jack. After a long time, Danny's smiled wobbled a bit "Red. I like the color red." He glanced at Jack "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that your favorite color is blue."

Jack grinned and shook his head "nope, green."

Danny raised his brows in mild surprise " _really_?"

Jack gave a nod "Yup."

"But- you wear blue, _all the time_! Every day!"

Jack shrugged "Hey, these are my only set of clothes. Beggars can't be choosers."

Danny snorted. Which grew into a warm laugh and Jack soon joined with him.

The shadows once again shifted, but Danny didn't care. He didn't even notice. The bulk of their time was spent asking questions back and forth. Just small, mundane questions.

Nothing about the scars on Danny's arms, or about why the hole in the ground was covered with claw marks, or what drew Danny to this ditch in the first place. Danny didn't even ask why Jack came to the tree by the lake with that sad, sad look in his eyes.

Nether were ready to give those answers,

and that was ok.

 **Authors note**

 **I, am so sorry that this took so long. I had** **a chapter, but then I hated it and trashed it for this** **one. Like it?** _ **Dislike**_ **it? (I hope** **not) Then REVIEW, FAVORITE, OR FOLLOW!** **Please?**


	13. Complicated

Sara made herself comfortable in the living room chair "So, Jerry, what was the emergency?" She put her elbow on the arm of the chair and rested her cheek against her palm "I'm betting that it has something to do with Danny."

Jerry decided that the best way to handle this was to be blunt "Danny has dreams."

Sara jolted upwards from her arm-chair " _what_?!"

"Dreams, nightmares, the whole package." Jerry ran his hands through his hair, tugging them at the roots "and night terrors."

Sara looked at him wide-eyed " Danny must be a lot younger than I realized-"

Jerry shook his head "No, Danny is sixteen years old. At the least. Seventeen at the most, but my bets lie at sixteen."

Sara leaned back in her chair, shocked "... that's... that is _incredible_." A gleam of realization flashed in her glassy blue eyes "Wait, what do you mean? _Seventeen at most_?"

Jerry rubbed the back of his neck "Danny has amnesia. He remembers literally nothing before only mere months ago. He doesn't remember what he looked like when he was younger, he doesn't recall where he came from, _hell_ , he told me that the only reason why he knows his own name was because some weirdo _told_ him it was. He won't say who. _It might not even be his real name_ , I think Danny just took it because it was better than _nothing_."

Jerry pinched the bridge of his nose "according to the doctor, Danny has one of the most serious cases of amnesia recorded _to date_." Jerry harrumphed "and I think he's keeping secrets, too."

Sara glanced at Jerry. Not many would notice, but to her, Jerry seemed to gush his words like he needed to let this out for a while. And Sara only knew this because she practically raised him. "What makes you think that keeping secrets hon?"

Jerry gave a loose shrug "I dunno, years of being a cop? I can kinda just tell at this point. Plus, him soundproofing his room set off some alarms." He looked at the red rug that burned against the wooden floor "but I don't think it's anything dangerous. And heck, who am I to force out of him the bits he _does_ remember?"

Jerry gave a sudden dry chuckle that held no warmth "Oh, and we tried looking through records, DNA tests, missing child reports, the what not to see if we could find out where he came from... and you know what? According to every record we could grab ahold of, _Danny doesn't exist_." Jerry ran a hand through his hair "and yet, according to the doctors that did the blood test, Danny got all of his vaccines. Just like any _ordinarily_ kid would."

Jerry looked back at Sara "And here's the real kicker, there's an unidentified substance tied into _Danny's very DNA_. The only reason why he doesn't have weekly appointments was because I figured that it doesn't really bother Danny and whatever it is, its warped in his DNA. Modern technology can't just unravel what's in someone's DNA. So why bother? Plus, a kid has better things to do than be poked around with needles in a lab." Jerry crossed his arms "the doctors really tried fighting me on it though."

Sara stared at him gobsmacked "Danny sounds like... one really complicated kid."

Jerry barked a hoarse laugh "you could say that."

Shocked, Sara leaned back on her chair, mulling everything over. "... you didn't just call me to talk, did you?"

Jerry paused "When I was younger, you told me that I had constant night terrors. I still don't remember any of it, but I need you to tell me how to handle one. Could you please do that for me?"

Sara hesitated "It's been a while, to say the least. But I can try to give you the tips I can still remember."

Jerry let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding " _thank you_."


	14. Logical

E. Aster Bunnymund had high suspicions when Jack came in the meeting after meeting at Norths' workshop with a full grin on his face. And Jacks ice blue eyes, but warm despite themselves, had what Bunny had thought to be a mischievous gleam.

Needless to say, he then at the time checked his Warden as quick as possible. And while the other guardians weren't nearly as verbal of their misgivings, they also decided to see if they had fallen victim to Jacks jokes and had their homes and work space prank-azised once more. Only, to not find a thing out of place.

Now, Aster was just confused.

Something was up with Jack too. What Aster considered a quiet victory had took place. And while no one said anything, a change slowly but surely taken hold of Jack. His jokes were less intrusive, less annoying and more considerate. Of course, even Aster was aware that the Pranks and teasing Jack pulled were never cruel or ill natured. And in the end, they were good times to look back to. But no one could deny that Jacks tricks had taken a softer approach for the better.

Now when Jack came in with that grin, Aster suspension dissolved into curiosity. He only had one question, but it was enough to permanently burn into his mind.

What changed?

"Ya' look happy."

Jack gave Aster a strange look "You've been saying that every time I come here lately and it's kinda freaking me out to be honest."

Aster scowled, but said nothing.

Aster also had noticed that Jacks mind wondered off. At least, a lot more than it used to. And Jack now always had a strange, unfamiliar yet _warm_ look on his face.

Aster wondered if Jack was sick. And if so, with what?

Surly, it couldn't have anything to do with that new believer Jack was always prattled on about. The boy named Danny.

If he could, Jack would talk about this " _Danny_ " for hours non-stop, and then some.

Quite frankly, it was a little bit concerning.

This was nothing like when Jack first got that kid, Jamie as a believer. Aster doesn't know what could have gone differently with Danny. Danny and Jamie were probably the same age with familiar interests, yet Jack had an unnamable fondness of whomever this Danny character was.

Despite all of this, Aster wondered if he would ever meet this Danny fellow.

Then again, there was no way that Danny could have made such a settle yet momentous change in Danny. Jamie had a hand of saving the world, yet even _he_ couldn't invoke such a shift.

Besides, it's not like a meeting with Danny would truly bring any sort of excitement or mystery. In a logical way of thinking, how could it?


	15. Murky Walks

It was late November, but with the snow it might as well be December. Meaning that one month was spent in the streets and two months were spent with Jerry (mostly with Jack if he was honest with himself).

It also meant that his school career was three months delayed.

Danny didn't know how to feel about the whole matter of going back to school. He didn't remember if he did or not, so it's not like he knew what to expect or if he'll do well. Or even if he ever _had_ a proper education.

Danny faintly wondered if he would like the other kids.

"Hey, out of curiosity, do you know where the school is?"

Danny stopped his walking, peeled his eyes away from the sidewalk. After seeing that no one was around, he looked back at Jack "I thought _you_ were taking me."

Jack blinked "Ah, right. We're going to have to turn around then."

The only thing that stopped Danny from doing a face-palm was the fact that Jack was currently holding his hand. Jacks hand was cold, dry and _comfortable_. Too comfortable to let go and Danny was too lazy to just use his left hand.

Danny settled with giving Jack a glare as sharp as daggers.

Jack shrugged apologetically, pulled him to the right direction and they continued their walking.

In the end, Danny dropped the glare and traded it for a much more curious glance. Abet, still annoyed "Where you going to take me anyways?"

"To the park. A jogger from the left is coming by the way." Jack informed.

Danny knew that he should look away, but he couldn't help but watch the young woman with a set of silver headphones and a bony frame faze through Jack like he was thin air. While Jack dulled the response, he winced in reflex.

In the corner of his eye Danny saw the jogger gain distance as he kept his eyes on Jack "you could've moved."

Jack shrugged once again and tightened his grip on Danny's hand, even if only slightly and his voice was quiet "I didn't really feel like getting out of the way, you know?"

Danny could understand that, the achromatic sky and light fog added a certain drowsiness to the air.

Danny leaned against Jacks' shoulder. Jacks' blue hoody was soft and smelled crisp "yeah, but it's the _premise_ of it."

Jack leaned back against Danny "eh, anyways. You do realize that people are going to think that you're walking funny. Right?"

Danny rolled his eyes "people will also think that I'm talking to myself, but here we are."

"Look man, _I_ know that you're crazy. But we don't need the whole town to know that." Jack huffed with a playful gleam in his eye.

Danny grinned "not _yet_." he then took a deep breath "It's not like anyone's here anyways." Plus, leaning against Jack was a bit more snug then he would like to admit.

Jack hummed in agreement.

"Ah well, we're here" Jack said.

Danny stopped leaning against Jack and straitened his back "seriously?"

"Yup."

Danny took one long look at the building "... huh," Its red bricks, though faded with age, boldly stood against the smog. Across the top has the name _Burgess Jr./Sr. High school_ inbronze and had two stone lions that mirrored each other.

Danny didn't take his eyes of the building "ever been inside?"

Jack shook his head "nope." Jack then gave Danny a Chester-like grin that had nothing but mischief written all over it "good _luck_."

Danny turn back at Jack to give a frown in return.

 _That_ was a big mistake. Because abruptly, like it did every once-so-often, _it hit him_.

Because, _suddenly_ , even with all the grey Jack was vibrant in more ways than one. Despite wearing the same thing _every damn day_ and never changing, Jack still had something that put Danny in a forbidden _awe_. Maybe it was the way he smiled, or the way Jack moved like poetry or the inner _warmth_ that he held in his ice blue eyes despite themselves. Because moments like these Danny was _breathless_.

"Danny, are you alright? You're giving me that weird look again and you look really red."

Danny cleared his throat and forced himself to look back at the school "Um, yeah. I'm... I'm fine Jack."

Jack gave him a strange look "... okay, just checking."

They stood there in awkward silence as the seconds ticked by.

Danny was the first to let go of Jack's hand "Alright, see you later."

Jack waved, and didn't move until the school swallowed Danny in and Jack couldn't see him anymore. Only then, did he let the wind take him.

 **Authors note:**

 **Not much, but something? Also, if you have any questions, go ahead and ask! Have a question about the story? ask! Wanna know something about the characters? Ask! Wanna know any fun facts about me as the author? Ask! Also, REVIEW, FAVORIT OR FOLLOW! (plez)**


	16. Confusion and Experiments

Jack was very, _very_ uncomfortable right at this moment. Anyone would be at unease if a blind spirit was staring at them.

And not only was this said spirit blind, _oh no_ , but he was also had a blood red blindfold over his eyes.

At first, Jack just figured that maybe the spirit, Eros, just happened to be facing that particular spot in Norths workshop that Jack just happened to be standing in.

But whenever Jack went, the blind spirits' gaze followed.

Where _the hell_ was everyone? How, _in the name of all that's frosty_ , was Jack the first person here, aside from Eros?

"strange, I've never hit you with my arrows." Eros paused, His skin and lips folding in a way where it showed how much of a puzzlement Eros was in "and yet..."

Jack gave him the most bizarre look he could muster "I- wait _what_? No- I mean, why would you shoot me with arrows?!"

Jack screamed as a new unfamiliar voice suddenly entered the conversation. She was a young woman in her middle twenties.

"What my husband means is, you were affected by Eros."

Jack frowned, looked at the woman, then back at Eros "... Eros is right here,"

She shook her head "No, I mean the force,"

"the _force_?"

She nodded "Yes"

"Not this Eros?"

"Yes"

Jack blinked "There are two Eros?!"

"No!"

By the moon, this was awkward. And confusing. Already, Jack wished that he was back with Danny. He decided to change the subject before he was more lost then he already was. "So, um, did you like, need me- us... anyone for something?"

Eros, however, only stared. At least, stared as much as a blind man could. The woman looked like she was about to say something until they heard a door swing open.

Jack nearly collapsed in relief as he heard the other guardians _finally_ came in.

North blinked in surprise "I- _Eros_? _Psyche_? What are you doing here?"

Eros tilled his head to where the sound if North's voice emitted from "Hello, North, it's a pleasure hearing from you, but I'm afraid that I come baring bad news,"

Tooth cocked her head "what... what kind of bad news?"

Sandy made a picture of a looming dark figure that Bunny translated with ease "Does it have somethin' to do with Pitch?"

Eros and Psyche said nothing, which was an answer all on its own.

Aster looked like he was about to curse.

Jack broke in "wait, if it's about Pitch, then why are you here telling us? I mean, Pitch is kinda just 'our problem'"

Tooth nodded, her wings humming filled the room "Not that we don't mind the help, but Jack has a point other spirits don't usually try to get involved,"

Psyche turned to the occupants in the room, giving them a nervous glance "That's because Pitch isn't acting alone,"

North froze "who... who is Pitch working with?"

The woman, Psyche pushed back her long deep brown hair from her darker still brown eyes. "Hittite, Furor, the list goes on." She scanned the room. "They're building up a new army for their new cause,"

"And how long has z'dis been going on?" North asked.

Psyche seemed to deflate a bit "to tell you the truth, we don't know." she took a deep breath "Hell, we don't know much about anything, we don't know what exactly they plan to do, how they're going to do it or even when." She then snorted "the only reason why we know they're up to something at all is because an artifact of the spirit world was stolen, Alysídes apátheias,"

"Chains of Apathy." Eros translated "and even then, we're not sure what they plan to do with it,"

Jack gave Eros a confused glance "Chains of _apathy_? That's... that's a relic?"

Eros nodded "I didn't know what it was when I first heard it too. I as well, am also lost in what its importance."

Psyche nodded "Many spirit we asked about also seem unfamiliar with this, but in retrospect, relics are created, faded and reimagined on a yearly dais, making it nearly impossible to keep track of it all, that's why we have several spirits whose obligation is to organize and categorize these relics, also the only reason why we know that this one was stolen,"

Sandy showed a short series of pictures that Tooth translated with ease "What cause do they have in mind?"

Eros frowned and furrowed his brow "they want to be seen, they don't want only children to see them anymore. They want power, because if every human can see them, that's what they'll have, Power,"

Psyche shrugged "I don't know how they think this is even possible," She took a deep breath "But whatever they're going to do... it's not going to be good,"

Everyone had nervous a gleam to their eyes. The room was heavy with an almost unbearable pressure.

Except Jack,

Jack looked paralyzed with fear. "What... what do they plan to do with the mortals?"

Psyche gave her husband a worried glance and grasped at his hand "There had been some kidnappings, kidnappings that I don't think any human would be capable of."

Aster growled, and his fur bristled "They've been taken' children right under our-"

Eros shook his head "not children, adults, teenagers, the kind of people that aren't meant to see us anymore."

Tooth's wings slowly creased movement as she drooped down to the floor "what are... what do they plan to with them?"

Eros seemed to try to choose his words carefully "We think... we think that they plan on doing experiments"

Jack was shacking, his fists were clinched and his eyes were wide with shock "... _Danny_ "

Eros frowned "I'm sorry, who?"

Jack looked up at Eros "Danny he... he can see me..."

Aster snorted "Well, no shit Sherlock, most kids could-"

Jack franticly shook his head "No, you don't understand! He's _my age_!"

Psyche froze "but that's- _that's not possible_ , maybe at one time it could've been, but now..."

"Look, I know that it shouldn't be possible, and trust me, I can explain it either." Jack took a deep breath "but somehow, for whatever reason, it just is, alright?"

Eros once again was unnervingly 'looking' at Jack's direction "Are you suggesting that this boy was a subject to their experiments?"

Jack winced at the last word "I- I don't know! I don't know if... if they _did_ something to him." Jack has always regarded as Danny's ability to see him as a blessing. A gift. But Jack didn't want Danny to have to go through some mad men's _torture_ and _toying_ to in order for Danny to receive this 'gift'.

"why in bloody hell didn't you tell us about this _earlier_?!" Aster asked.

"I _did_! You guys just, didn't react!" Jack protested.

"I thought that you were talken' 'bout a _child_ "

North came between the two of them "look, there's not much that we can do about that now! Our main concern should now be to see if this Danny character is ok! _Ok_!"

That froze Aster and Jack in their tracks.

Sandy did a short series of signs,

Jack nodded "Yeah, I'll... I'll bring him in tomorrow."

Authors note: Please REVEW, FAVORIT or FOLLOW!

Also, I have some questions to answer!

Guest: well sure i'll ask things, you dont have to be so pushy! one, did you just come up with aster for the easter bunny, or is that confirmed anywhere? two, is this shipping i sense? ;)

Bunny's name is canon. Whither it's from the books or movie idk. And yes

That shipping that you sense?

It's there. 😉

Also, if you don't want to ask questions here, I also have an Tumblir account at captainiamalmosthuman


	17. Sleep

Jack slowly creeped through Danny's window "Danny?" The wind let Jack down on the floor gently, a small 'thud' echoed through the room. "I know that it's kinda late, but I _really_ need to talk to you."

Jack turned to the left where Danny was, laid down on his side facing Jack. His hands were twitching and his brows were furrowed.

Jack frowned, could Danny have dreams? Quickly Jack glanced around the room. No dream sand was present. Pitch's or Sandy's.

Jack looked back at Danny with utter confusion. Danny couldn't be having a dream... could he? He walked over and nudged Danny's shoulder gently "... Danny?"

Danny violently jerked up, only moving at the waist up. In response Jack flailed back with a yelp. Danny blinked groggily, he scratched the back of his head then gave Jack a sideways look. "... Jack?" He rubbed his eyes "Wha- what are you doing here?"

"That's um, that's a long story. Did I wake you up or...?"

Danny shook his head "Naw, it was just a nightmare."

Jack felt something in his chest tighten up "Danny, you're not- you're not suppose to have nightmares."

Danny huffed "So I've been told." He then moved over, giving Jack room next to him as Danny laid down again.

Jack leaned his staff against the nightstand "... You know that I don't sleep, right? Ever."

"Maybe" Danny grunted "But I do. Get in."

Jack, figuring that there is no stopping Danny, sat down next to him. The mattress sagged a bit from Jack's weight and the springs squeaked. Jack gathered the blankets from his side of the bed and gently folded it over Danny, as well as moved the pillow to Danny's side of the bed: heaven knows that Jack didn't need them. "You're going to have to meet the other guardians when morning comes."

Danny tossed the pillow off the bed, with Jack's bewildered look, Danny simply stated "I don't sleep with a pillow" and turned to Jack, resting his head on his arm "anyways, why do I need to meet your co-workers?"

Finally, Jack laid down next to Danny "Because, something big is going to go down, and I think you might have been unintentionally involved,"

Danny raised a brow "I have no idea what you mean by that, but I trust you."

Jack frowned "do you have any clue why you can see me? Any at all?"

Danny snorted "I don't even know where I come from Jack, I don't remember much of anything."

Jack froze " _What_."

Danny paused "I never told you, did I?"

Jack gave a sad smile and shook his head "no, but can you tell me now?"

Danny nodded "A lady in silver and black, Fate she called herself, she took them. My memories. She buried me too. By the tree we go by. The one by the lake."

Jack had sweat dribbled down his forehead "oh Danny…" What can one say to that? Jack decided that it was only fair to tell his own story. "I lost my memories once, too. Tooth gave them back." Jack paused "maybe Tooth will have yours as well."

Danny's eyes widen a bit, despite the drowsiness "Really?"

Jack nodded, and brushed a strand of hair away from Danny's eyes "Really."

Danny gave a weak laugh as he rubbed his eyes.

Jack blinked, he had never seen Danny cry before.

"... You know Jack? I think... I think it would be great to meet your co-workers."

Jack cupped Danny's cheeks, his thumb stroked away a few tears "I'm glad that you think that..."

"You know," Jack quietly mused "I think I love you..." He swallowed, hard. If he really thought of it, for at least three hundred years, he didn't really love anyone. He couldn't of. Being invisible and untouchable does that.

But Danny was always an exception.

Danny gave Jack a sleepy-eyed glance "Ah, well," Danny pulled Jack close and gave him a soft kiss on the lips then broke away "me too." Right then and there, somehow, Danny fell into a deep sleep.

Jack, of course, did _not_. In fact, even if Jack could sleep, he didn't think he would have been able to at this moment. His face was a bright red and eyes comically wide as he slapped shaky hands to his lips.

Of all the ways Jack imagined this conversation to end, this was _not_ one of them.

Authors note: Please, REVEIW, FAVORITE or FOLLOW (Also, I'm doing prompts on Tumblr)


	18. Establishing

Danny blinked repeatedly as he tried to adjust to the light.

"Hi."

Danny suddenly jerked back "Oh God, Jack! When... " Suddenly everything that happened last night came back in a flash. He groaned in his hands "Dear lord, I _kissed_ you" Danny then pulled up the sheets to cover his face "I mean, I don't regret it." his voice was muffled a bit "But, I guess I should've asked for consent first."

Jack looked back up at the ceiling "Danny, I told you that I love you." He see-sawed his hand "... that counts as consent? "

Danny paused "... That's, that's right! You _did_. Ha!" Danny lowered the sheets enough to see his face "come to think of it, you don't sleep. Ever." Danny gave Jack a playful glair "what did you even do all night?"

Jack chuckled "Well I couldn't leave, you had a grip of iron." he then overlaid his arms and crossed his legs "and watching you would've been creepy, plus boring. Very boring. No offence." Jack looked away from the ceiling and glanced at Danny "So, cuddling you? I guess? Also trying to see how much frost I could put on the sheets before you turned over."

" _What_!?" Danny finally took a good look at the sheets, some places only showed thin traces of frost while other parts were almost thick with ice. "... I don't know whether to yell at you, or be annoyed."

Jack gave his characteristic grin with his usual mischievous gleam in his eye "admit it, you like it."

Danny grunted. The thing was, Jack was right. Danny did like it. Come to think of it, Danny hadn't slept this well in a long time. The problem is, he should wash this off before Jack left and it melts "... Annoyed it is."

Jack suddenly gave a dark chuckle. Danny's eyes narrowed to slits "what... _else_ did you do?"

Jack said nothing and innocently glanced at Danny's hair. Danny gave Jack a suspicious look as he slowly brought his hand to his hair, finding it covered in frost.

"Ok, yeah. You know what? You deserved this." With that Danny pushed Jack off the bed.

Jack, however, took ahold of Danny's wrist before he fell off "If I'm going down your going down with me!"

Danny screeched as he was pulled off the nice, cool bed. He and Jack tumbled onto the floor with the sheets loosely rapped around them.

Jack's grin was now more akin to the Chester cat as he turned to Danny who was right next to him "Don't you see Danny? You are _no match_ for my frosty abilities." Jack then broke out to warm, but impish laughter.

Danny raised a brow "oh _really_?"

Suddenly, Danny was on top of Jack, who's laughter died down to nervous chuckles. "I don't, um... see how this- you- you're are still no match against, Jack Overland Frost! -"

Danny paid no mind to this as he gave Jack a quick kiss on the cheek. Making Jack's chuckles stop dead in their tracks.

Danny gave Jack a soft smile and leaned so close that their noses almost touched "I _win_."

"Now, that... that's just not fair." Jack stuttered.

Danny didn't seem to care about this as he smirked. He then hesitated "So, um, about your co-workers?"

A slight frown tugged at Jack's lips "Oh, that's... that's right."

"we don't have to go right now, if you don't want to. I mean-"

Jack shook his head as he used the wind from the open window to lift himself up, then gave Danny a hand up as well "As much as I hate to say this, the sooner the better." Jack then swooped Danny up in his arms bridal style. "you ready?"

"I'm not even dressed, Jack."

Jack paused "oh, right." He glanced at Danny's appearance. Which consisted of a red hoodie and lime green pajama paints "... you look fine."

Danny snorted "to you, maybe."

Jack didn't put Danny down "C'mon Danny, think about it. It'll be like a giant meme. Plus, literally only children see them. They won't care what you look like."

"Jack, I still need to tell Jerry a plausible story, or else he'll come looking for me." Danny said, "Where are we going anyways?"

Jack rolled his eyes "The North Pole, duh."

Danny's eyes widen "WHAT?!"

Jack shot up a few feet, inches below the wind "whoa! Danny, volume control?!"

Danny face palmed "Jack, _Jack_. _How_ was I supposed to get there?"

Jack pressed his face closer to Danny's as they drifted down "You clearly underestimate the wind."

In response Danny gave Jack a dulled stare "I- you know what? Magic is real, reindeer's fly and glitter with tiny fairies roams the streets at night instead of bike gangs. I'm just gonna roll with this."

Jack smirked "Wise choice."

Danny rolled his eyes, then returned to a more serious atmosphere "But seriously, I need to get dressed and take care of Jerry."

"... Alright, fine"

Danny yelped when Jack dropped him on the bed, frost and bits of ice bounced upwards "Jerk."

Jack just smiled.

Danny's eyes roved side to side "uh, Jack? Your gonna have to leave."

Jack paused, then his eyes widen in realization "Oh, right! I'll, um. I'll pick you up in a few minutes."

Danny got up from the bed and dusted the bits of hoarfrost "Alright, see you later."

Jack opened the window and saluted as he jumped out.

Danny, however, just shook his head. And closed the window.

 _. . ._

Danny paused as heard a knock at the window, he walked over and pulled the curtains apart. Jack waved like an exited kid with his usual smile.

Danny couldn't help but smile back as he opened the window. "Jack, it's been fifteen minutes."

Jack hopped into the room "so?" he picked up his staff that leaned against the nightstand "I still can't believe that I left this in here." Jack murmured just below his breath. He then looked back up to Danny "you ready?"

Danny nodded "yeah, I told Jerry that I was going out today. I also have blue jeans on, so that's good."

"But didn't you wear that red hoodie to bed though?" Jack asked.

Danny shrugged "It's a good hoodie."

"Welp, can't argue with that logic." He handed Danny his staff "I'm gonna need you to hold this."

As soon as Danny had a good grip on the staff, Jack lifted him once more in bridal style. "Last minute question, are you afraid of heights?"

Danny gave Jack the most bizarre look that he could muster "You only thought of asking me this _now_?!"

"It's a standard question! And haven't I established my lack of impulse control and my inability to think things through?" Jack argued.

Danny paused "Alright, fair enough."

Jack walked towards the window "By the way, I was right."

Danny tried to rewind his memory to figure out what Jack was referencing "About what?"

Jack smirked, but in a way where it held a odd warm twist to it "When we first met, I said that I would never be the same. And I was right."

It took a second to process what Jack said, but once it hit Danny turned a bright red. Despite the smirk Jack wore, his eyes had a earnest gleam to them.

But before Danny could even respond, Jack jumped out the window.

The wind whistled in Danny's ears as they dived down, then shot straight up in almost neck-breaking speeds.

What Danny found strange though was that there was no surge of adrenaline, no rush of energy, and no fear. Nothing that Danny should have expected. Instead he felt nostalgia that he couldn't place. And yet he also felt a strange sort of comfort in the sky.

Danny didn't know if it was the wind that was making his eyes burn, or the home sickness.

Jack started heading north and lost some speed "Hey, Danny, do you want me to slow down? I think the speed is making your eyes a bit red."

Danny looked back at Jack "are you kidding me? Slow down?! Never!"

 _. . ._

Jack slowly lowered himself into North's workshop "well, here we are."

Danny looked around "I can't believe that along the fact that yetis are real and guard Santa Clause's place. But also, that it took us only _two hours_ to get here." Danny looked back at Jack "How _fast_ were you going?"

Jack gently let Danny down and shrugged "Honestly I suck at math, I have no clue. I try not to think about it too much."

A thick Australian voice cut in "Jack, how is this boy even _alive_ right now?!" Danny's eyes widen and what appeared to be a giant rabbit come marching towards the two of them "It's in the _negatives_ out there, a normal person would've had their eyeballs _frozen_ by now. And I don't mean that as an' exaggeration."

The giant rabbit completely ignored Danny as he went up to Jack "and he has on just, what-" The rabbit suddenly looked at Danny then turned right back at Jack "a- a _hoodie_ and _blue jeans_?! This boy should'a been a popsicle by now! I don't even know how he's still _alive_ -"

Danny fiddled with Jack's staff as he looked back at the rabbit "listen, even I question how am still alive at times. But didn't you guys want me here for a reason?"

The rabbit, or bunny (Danny wasn't sure which one the Australian guy was) suddenly froze. Then slowly turned back to Danny "I- you can see me. That's... why you're here..." The bunny, Danny decided that the guy was looked back at Jack "holy bloody shit you weren't kidding."

Jack mocked a gasp " _language_ , Bunny. Watch your profanity."

The giant bunny huffed.

"Wait, hold on a sec," Danny pointed at the Australian bunny "your name is _Bunny_?"

"The full name is E. Aster Bunnymund. So yeah, _Bunny_." Bunny crossed his arms "gotta problem with that?"

"no, no... Just, unexpected is all."

Bunny raised a brow at Danny, "You're calling that 'unexpected'? You're a walking paradox, that's what yer' are."

Danny shrugged.

Bunny looked at Danny in a way where you could tell that Bunny still didn't know how to feel about him at all. He looked back at Jack "... yeah, so, Its only me an' North here right now. We're gonna havta get everyone else."

Almost as if on cue, a Russian voice joined in "so, this iz Danny! I heard so much about you!"

Danny looked up at the towering man with the red coat"... oh, my god. Santa Clause is real. You're _real_."

Jack raised a brow "out of all the things that gets to you, it's _North_?"

"Jack, I can't explain it. But he just _does_." Danny was still looking at North as he said this.

North chuckled nervously "ja, well... I suppose it could be a lot for a person to... take in..."

Both Bunny and North were looking at Danny in unease, as if Danny gave them a bad feeling or was a baleful sign.

Danny didn't seem to notice, but Jack seemed to know as he stepped in front of Danny and rubbed his hands together "Okay, so! When are the others coming?" Jack glanced behind "also, I need my staff back Danny."

Danny handed Jack the staff "Oh, right. Almost forgot."

The look of shock and discomfort increased dramatically on both North's and Bunny's faces as they both watched the exchange.

North was the first to try and act normally "ah, well Danny. The others should be here very shortly. Would you like a cookie?"

"uh... " Danny watched as both Jack and Bunny were mouthing the word 'no' and 'don't' as they were shaking their heads "Thanks, but I'll pass."

North shrugged, oblivious to both Bunny's sagging shoulders and Jack's look of relief "your loss then." North made a waving motion and little elves suddenly appeared from one of the far doorways that looked handcrafted.

Danny's eyes widen as the elf with the tall funny red hat spat out a cookie onto the old silver tray filled with variety of other kinds of cookies.

North picked up _the_ cookie "Are you sure that you don't want one? They're very good. I don't know _vhy_ no one else ever takes one... "

Danny looked at the cookie then back at the elf, then to North "I'm sure. I absolutely _don't_ want one."

North took a bite "more for me then."

Danny gave a yelp "I- you do know that the elf spat it out, right?!"

North stopped chewing "they're _elves_. They do it all the time, it takes a bit for one to get used to it."

Danny, Jack and Bunny gaged as North swallowed the cookie.

Bunny wrinkled his nose "that's _disgusting_ , mate."

North spread his arms " _vhat_ do you want me to do then? _Waste_ cookies? _Throw them away_?!"

Jack jerkily nodded his head "um, _yeah_! _Please_."

North grumbled under his breath about "naughty list", "Jack" and "wasting."

Danny decided that now would be a good time to change the subject. He gestured a hand at Jack "... ok, so I know that Jack is, well, Jack Frost." He pointed a finger at North "You're Santa Clause" Danny jerked his thumb at Bunny's direction "and he's the Easter Bunny." He putted his hand down "so... who else is coming? Exactly?"

Jack drifted a bit closer at Danny's side "Eros, and Psyche. As well as Tooth and Sandy." Jack leaped to the top of his staff and somehow found the center of gravity with inhuman ease "in order they are more commonly known as Cupid, the spirit of romantic love, no duh. Psyche is, well, Psyche. She is the spirit of the human soul, mind and spirit. Tooth is better known as the Tooth Fairy, she's the spirit of childhood memories. Sandy is also the Sandman, he's the spirit of... well the spirit of dreams."

"But, don't you call yourselves the Guardians? _Not_ spirits?" Danny asked.

Bunny see-sawed his paws "eh, we see it as both. For example, I am the spirit of hope, but while I am the spirit of it, or, the heart of hope, I guard it for children." Bunny lifted a paw towards North "also, another example, North. While he's the Spirit of Wonder, he also guards it for children? Ya' get me?"

Danny paused "I... think so? Yeah, defiantly. Got it." He turned to Jack "what are you the spirit of?"

Something in Danny's heart warmed when Jack beamed in pride " _I'm_ the guardian or spirit of Fun."

Danny blinked "Figures."

The conversation was then broke with a fluttering of paper-thin wings "Oh my stars! Is this him?! It this Danny?" A woman with glowing violet eyes and bright green feathers swooped down and opened Danny's mouth "oh, I like this one! He flosses!"

Danny jerked back from the brief contact.

Jack hopped off his staff and stepped between Tooth and Danny "Sorry Tooth, he doesn't like strangers touching him."

Tooth faltered "oh, alright." She then froze "I- I _touched you_! That's not supposed to happen." She bounced on the toes of her feet "Oh, this is so exciting! Now excuse me, I have to go and rearrange some quick scheduling with the girls."

She soon flew off to god knows where. Both Bunny and North followed as they seemingly tried to stop her.

Danny then saw the sand make a arrow down. Danny looked down and saw a little man who seemed to be completely made of sand.

Danny gave a small wave "oh, you must be Sandy, the sandman."

The little man created a bowler hat with the sand and made a bow.

Danny smiled "You're quite the gentleman, aren't you?"

Sandy smiled back. It has a strange childlike yet mature quality to it.

Jack gave a soft chuckle and he leaned on Danny "Don't let Sandy fool you, he can be vicious when he needs to be."

Sandys warm smile became a devilish smirk as the bowler hat became a set of devil horns. He started rubbing his hands and gave what looked like silent, dark laughter.

Danny leaned back against Jack "I consider myself warned."

A new, deep voice entered the conversation "All jokes aside, Jack Frost is right."

Danny saw a dark-skinned man with blood red blindfold and instantly knew who it was "You're Eros."

Eros nodded "Indeed." He gave Danny a strange look. "you... you should've felt my arrows before, but I don't see my mark on you..." Eros eerily turned to Jack "and yet Danny, you _love_ him. Strange, very strange indeed..."

Danny and Jack gave each other nervous looks as they held the other on tighter. Danny looked back at Eros "you're... you're not going to try and reverse it, are you?"

Eros hesitated, then shook his head "No, I'm not. People fall In love for a reason. Whither they're 'the one' or not, they always learn something. For better or worse."

Jack slacked in relief and Danny sighed in relief as well.

Sandy stared at both Danny and Jack with wide eyes, as if all the pieces came together. He excitedly clapped his hands (even though they made no sound) and made a heart with the sand, then pointed to both Jack and Danny, then added a question mark.

Jack and Danny both looked at each other and grinned as they turned to Sandy and both gave a thumbs up, confirming Sandy's question.

Sandy made what looked like a squeak, he then made a happy face above his head and pointed arrows to himself. While jumping up and down with the biggest grin.

Jack, influenced with Sandy's enthusiasm gave Danny a quick kiss to his nose.

Danny snorted and hugged Jack's arm tighter. Tring to hold down the smile that was turning up the corner of his lips.

Eros however, looked confused. As confused as a blind man should be when a verbal-less conversation happens.

A woman with frizzy black hair and a deep brown skin walked in "Hello, you're Danny I presume?"

Danny nodded "yeah, that's me. You're Psyche, right?"

Psyche gave a polite nod and pushed up the frame of her glasses "that is me, you're correct." Like everyone before her, she gave Danny a strange look "I suppose that me and Eros aren't the only ones anymore, it's a bit too early to tell though..."

Jack blinked "what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

Sandy putted a giant question mark above his head, as if asking the same question.

She seemed to hesitate, but before she opened her mouth to answer, North's voice thundered above the tinkering and other side conversations. "Alright, now that we're all here, lets discus ze' elephant in the room. _Danny_."

Suddenly all eyes fell on Danny.

"Danny," North said again as he slowly walked towards Danny "are you familiar with the world-wide kidnappings?"

This was not the turn that Danny was expecting this conversation to go."I- Wha- _what_? No. I literally have no idea what you're talking about." Danny turned to Jack "what the heck are they talking about?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck "like North said, their had been some kidnappings. Adults, teens, people that can't or shouldn't see us anymore." Jack took a deep breath "it's too spread out, too few people for the mortals to really notice. But the kidnappings were... unusual enough for us to."

Bunny cut in "we have evidence that suggests that the group of spirits took them to test out some... experiments."

Danny's mind without explanation flashed to the pools of green and flash of knives, he winced at the word. Suddenly, Danny putted the two-and-two together on what Bunny and Jack was saying "you think that they experimented on me, and _that's_ why I can see you?"

The room turned gravely silent. That was an answer in itself

Danny shook his head "No, that can't- it doesn't make any sense."

"I know it can be a little hard for someone rap their head around-" Tooth said.

Danny however, shook his head "No, I mean it literally makes no sense. If I could see spirits because of them, wouldn't the people that were kidnapped be returned? And even if they weren't, would there be more people taken? Or even more reports of people seeing spirits?"

"... yeah, Danny's right," Jack turned to Psyche and Eros "You said that they were building an army, right? Wouldn't they've have done their 'big battle' or whatever yet or attacked already if that was the case?"

Tooth nodded "the boys have a point. If Danny being... experimented on was true, now would've been the perfect time to strike. Only recently had spirits heard the buzz of what they could be planning and it would've been in the time where we least expected them. Plus, Danny was here for a few months already from how long Jack has been telling us about him, so they would've had _months_ to prepare."

Psyche frowned "But then _why_ can Danny see us? What else could possibly explain it?" Everyone once more turned to Danny's way.

Danny raised is hands in surrender almost "I have no idea, But I had been meaning to ask," He turned to Tooth "I never thought I would ever ask anyone else this, but do you have my teeth? I don't- I forget... I lost all my memories, ok? And I really, _really_ need them back."

Tooth gave Danny a surprised then sad look "I'm... I'm afraid I don't have your teeth. I remember every costumer I've ever had, you were never one of them." She gave him a sideways glance "I could double heck for you though, I mean, I highly doubt it, but who knows-"

Danny gave her a weak, wobbly smile "Thanks, Tooth, that would be... that would be very much appreciated."

Jack reached out and held Danny's hand as he gave him a slight squeeze. Jack then turned to North, "what about you North? Grown up or not, dead or alive you have everyone _somewhere_ on your list, right? Is Danny Fenton there?"

North slowly shook his head in disbelief "Danny is nowhere on ze list. It's almost like he doesn't exist..." North extended his arms as proof, on one arm in said "Naughty" and the other "Nice" both Zoomed past names, highlighting anything that looked remotely like Danny's name, "Danny Fenton." There were a few familiar results, a couple people had the same name as Danny. But something deeply seeded inside of Danny told him that none of them were 'his' name.

Danny forced himself to look away, he then turned to Sandy "What about you Sandy, you've been giving me dreams, right? You _gotta_ know something about me if that's the case,"

Sandy gave Danny a look oh, too similar to Tooth's. Shocked, then sombered. Sandy slowly shook his head and putted strange signs above his head.

Bunny was the first to translate "Sandy says... he says that he isn't giving you any dreams."

Sandy then gently blew wisps of dream sand to Danny's face. Instead of knocking out Danny cold or sending him to a deep dream, nothing happened. Absolutely _nothing_ happened.

Bunny swallowed as he translated the rest "Dream sand can't give teens and adults dreams, they become immune." Something in Bunny's voice changed in a way where Danny didn't think he was translating anymore. "You're... you're supposed to be asleep though. No one alive can be _that_ immune to the dream sand. Not even spirits."

To Danny, the room seemed to fuel with heat. He shivered at it as it was making his head spin, he backed up a few steps from the sheer leering power of it "Jack- Jack please take me home."

Without another word, Jack handed Danny his staff and lifted him bridal style once more,

but this time, Jack didn't leave before grabbing a waterproof blanket in the tower of toys.

No one moved to sop them as they left.

 _. . ._

Jack decided to stop by Danny's fount door "That was... so much worse than I thought it would be."

Danny doesn't say anything as he opened the unlocked door, with the blanket still on his shoulders.

Jack quietly observed Danny "... you know, I think this calls for a snack and movie night."

For the first time in over two hours, Danny responded. He raised a brow "you can eat? I don't think you even nibbled on something during the whole time that I've been with you."

Jack shrugged as he came in and closed the door behind him "I don't need to, and usually because I don't like to. Also, because I didn't have a clean bathroom readily available to me." Jack grinned "But it's all different _now_. Plus, I think that this is a special occasion."

Danny gave a small smile, something in his chest turned to goo, "Alright Jack. Snack and movie night, it is then."

Both were uncharacteristically quiet as they wordlessly worked together. Going into the kitchen, getting what they wanted and choosing a movie. They both went to the sofa and crawled to their desired spots. Danny spread the blanket over the two of them as the movie started.

 _. . ._

Both Danny and Jack were howling with laughter, tears in their eyes as the scene played.

Danny just barely managed to stop as he heard the door click open "Jerry, Jerry! Come see this! This girl just crashed a wedding with a chainsaw!"

Jerry groaned "ugh, later. Today was a long day at the police station. Who's your friend by the way?"

Danny blinked "what friend?" Jack suddenly stopped laughing.

"The one next to you," Jerry said "the one with the weird white hair."

Jack gave a slow wave.

Jerry waved back.

Jack's mouth dropped open and the handful of popcorn dropped from his hand.

Jerry looked down on the floor where Jack dropped the popcorn "I'm not cleaning that up."

Jerry looked back and forth between Danny's and Jack's shell-shocked faces "... yeah, so. I'm going to bed now, see you both later."

Jack and Danny said nothing as Jerry lumbered up the stairs. Slowly, they both turned to each other with mouths wide open.

Danny looked at the stairs then back at Jack "What- _what the hell_?!"

 **Authors note: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**


	19. Unexpected Outcomes

"What the hell, _what the actual hell_."

Jack turned to Danny "you just saw that, right?!"

Danny didn't say anything, but now he had an idea on what those kids felt like when he first met Jack.

"Danny, put on your shoes. I wanna try something." Jack said.

Danny gave Jack a curious glance and started putting on his red sneakers "... alright, where are we going?"

Jack had a bit of a crazed look to him " _Everywhere_."

Danny raised both brows as Jack grabbed his hand and used the other to grab his staff. "Jack, I haven't even tied my shoelaces yet! Jack!"

Jack wasn't listening as he ran and practically dragged Danny out the door.

 _. . ._

"Hey, Jamie, quick question. Is your mom home?"

Jamie gave Danny a confused look "Well, no. Not yet. But she should be in a few minutes. Why?'

Danny glanced at Jack, then back at Jamie "Just, trying something out."

Jamie open the door and invited them in "... Ok. By the way Danny, I think I figured out who you were! And why you came here!"

Danny withheld an amused look "Oh?"

Jamie suddenly had on a professional expression. "Me and my co-theorists has theorized that you're from what I like to call planet X. You were a super hero but then had to have your memories cleared to keep your identity. And you're here for a super-secret-mission."

Suddenly the serious look evaporated and Jamie gave a toothy smile "It all makes sense! Why you got these muscles," Jamie flexed his arms as an example "got mad reflexes and can see Jack! Because you're not from here! You don't need to follow _our_ rules! Kinda like why superman flies! He doesn't follow Earth's rules of gravity!"

Danny and Jack gave each other a blank look. Danny had to admit, some of the stuff, as wild as it was, made some sense. Danny, however, very much doubted it. "As nice as that sounds, I don't think that I was ever a super hero, Jamie."

Jamie frowned then shrugged "suit yourself." He then turned to Jack "Where were you?! I hadn't seen you, since like, forever!"

Before Jack could answer everyone turned when they heard the door open "Hey Jamie, is Sophie still asleep? Anyways, I'm back from work-" Jossey then paused and looked at all of the occupants in the room "Oh, hello Danny. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" She stared right at Jack "who's your new friend?"

Danny had to literally shake himself out of it "He- um. This is Jack."

Jamie was less subtle. His eyeballs were practically bulging out of there sockets. "You can _see_ Jack?!"

Jossey nodded absentmindedly, used to Jamie's antics. Then she stopped. She then took a closer look at Jack "Wait... are you Jack Frost? Jamie talks about you all the time. I thought that you were a imagery friend-"

"MOM." Jamie crossed his arms, displeased.

Danny turned suspicious as Jack once again had his mischievous smirk. This could only go one out of two ways-

"What made you think that I was imaginary?" Jack said with a sly and smug smile.

Suddenly Danny knew exactly how this was going to go down. But as he saw Jamie's hopeful face, Danny wasn't so sure if he wanted to stop it.

Jossey make a mental list. "Well, for one. It was the name. Your name isn't really Jack Frost, is it?"

Jack gave a nod "No, it is."

Jossey faltered "oh..." She gave Jack a look that she didn't quite believe him, but let it pass. "Also it was how Jamie always described you _on_ your staff. I mean no one-"

Jack gave her all of his attention as he hopped on and balanced on the crook at the very top of his staff. He rested his cheek on his hand. "Go on,"

Jamie was beaming in joy and his face had a _'I told you so'_ look to it.

Jossey blinked, and for a couple of seconds, couldn't say anything. However, Jossey was not one to quit. "Jamie also said that you could ride the _wind_ -"

Jamie broke into a impish chuckle that Jack would be proud of. Danny face-palmed.

Jack's chester-like grin widened ear to ear. He gave Jossey a quick salute as he jumped down from his staff.

Danny, deciding that they were too far in, with a neutral look opened the door allowing the wind to come in and grabbed Jack's staff.

Jack hugged Danny close much to Jossey's confusion and winked at Jamie. Jack turned to Jossey and said simply "see you later" as he literally flew out the door.

Despite the wind screaming in their ears Danny turned to Jack and yelled over the wind "If the government comes for us in the morning, I'm gonna blame you."

Jack raised a brow "you read _way_ too many Sci-fi novels,"

"My _life_ is a Sci-fi, Jack."

Jack chuckled and slowed down. "More like a modern fantasy."

Danny huffed. "Whatever. Where are we going next?"

Jack stopped in mid-air and paused to think about it. "To... the park! Its a Saturday evening. Almost _everyone_ will be there."

Danny held on to Jack tight "To the park then."

The town below them became a blur, after a sudden stop Danny turned to Jack "We should probably land where no one can see us."

Jack gave a Danny a blank stare "... ya' know? I've never thought that would be a necessity."

Danny blinked "wow," a beat "this must be really weird for you,"

Jack nodded as he found a empty clearing that was clustered with trees "Definitely."

As soon as Jack landed Danny handed him back his staff. Danny turned to Jack "you ready?"

"Ready? Are you kidding?! I was _made_ for this moment!" And with that, Jack charged into the park.

 _. . ._

Everyone knew that Jack was there. The old, the young, the deaf, the blind. Everyone and anyone in one form or another, knew that Jack was there. Jack was as real to them as any other mortal person.

Yet, strange enough, almost none of them were familiar with the name Jack Frost. And the few who did when asked (or in some cases, signed to, for the ones who were deaf) would squint their eyes in confusion of such a random question of "did you believe in him" and reply along the lines of "uh, no?"

Some time later, Danny pinched the bridge of his nose and then rubbed his hands on his eyes as turned to Jack, who was sitting down next to him on the bench "Ok, so... everyone can see you. Do think it's because of that cult thing or whatever found out a way to get people to see spirits?"

Jack raised a brow "If that's the reason, then how become they would want mortals to see _me_?"

Danny ran his fingers through his hair and flung the other hand in the air. "I dunno! ... Maybe because they made it where everyone can see _all_ spirits now?"

Jack huffed "I can't think of anything else that would remotely make sense." he turned to Danny "I vote that we bring other spirits here and see what happened."

Danny paused "Who are you thinking of for that? The guys in North's workshop?"

Jack considered it "Yeah, that'll work,"

"Alright, who are we going to go to first?" Danny said

Jack stood up "... Bunny, we're going to Bunny. He's the closest and lives in the most human-friendly environment. I'm still not sure how you survived the north pole. It was dumb luck that you're still alive with all of your limbs."

Danny shrugged, and stood up as well with hands in his red jacket pockets.

Jack looked at his feet. "Should've came more prepared last time, I'm not really used to the idea on how mortals work," He rubbed the back of his neck "Just um, just tell me if... if somethings wrong or- something. Ok? Please?"

Danny waved him off "I was fine last time. You got me there _and_ back in one piece," he spread his arms "See?" Danny gave a soft smile as he let his arms rest at his sides "And don't worry, I will. Alright? I'll start telling you more." a beat "are you ready to go now?"

Jack paused then nodded "yeah, I'm ready."

 _. . ._

Danny looked around in complete awe. It was a tad too warm to what felt comfortable and despite the scars, Danny was seriously considering on taking of the Jacket and the overbearing smell of pure chocolate almost enough to put him on the edge (plus, Jack's snowflakes and frost was waaaaay more detailed and beautiful. Not that Danny was going to tell Jack Frost to inflame his ego or Bunny, who might not take it too well) But in its own way, the warren was magical that Danny before couldn't imagine.

Grass that was a bright green grew everywhere and had it's own shine to it, little eggs walked to their own according and giant stone eggs with rugged carvings guarded the entrance.

Danny craned his neck up "... I've never been so intimidated by eggs,"

Jack looked up as well "Yeah, they've been like this since Pitch broke in here over a year ago year with his nightmares."

Danny turned his head so quickly that his neck almost snapped, then he slowly turned back to the giant eggs "That's... a pretty good reason."

Jack hummed in agreement.

Both turned to a voice on the other side "Oy, what'a ya twos doing here?"

Jack smiled "ah, Bunny! Just the polka I wanted to see!"

Bunny gave them both weary glances "Now what did the two of you's _do_ ,"

Jack and Danny glanced at each other "It's... not what we did, but more on something that we need to try out." Danny said with some hesitation.

Bunny took a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose "And what _exactly_ do you need to try out?"

Jack gave a nervous chuckle "we kind need to see if people can see you..."

Bunny lowered his hand and raised a brow "And, _why_ do you need to test that out? We both know very well who can and can't see me. Unless..." Bunny's eyes narrowed "what the hell did the two of ya's _do_."

Danny raised his hands into the air "Look, I swear, we didn't do anything! We don't know why, but everyone can see Jack now. And we need to know if people can see anyone else-"

Bunny, with a blank expression, promptly turned around and walked the other direction.

"I- Bunny!" Jack shouted "Come back!"

Bunny kept walking. "Hell no mate. Just- _hell no_." he mumbled a bit to himself in low tones that Danny and Jack couldn't hear then said, "That- this it. I'm done. _I'm done_. The world is ending, life as we know it is over, _this is it_."

"Bunny!" Jack gave Danny his staff and ran his hands threw his hair "We don't even know if they can _see_ you-"

Finally, Bunny, now at quite some distance, turned around. "And we SHOULDENT NEED TO ASK THAT QUESTON now, _SHOULD WE_?!"

"Comon' Bunny, you have to admit. This is a good question! And what kind of Guardians would we be to not to try and TEST IT OUT, YA BIG _CHICKEN_ ,"

Danny gave Jack a curious look "Can we even us that insult? I mean, he's already a giant Bunny-"

Suddenly, Bunny disappeared under the earth. Danny's eyes widen and stumbled a few steps back as Bunny suddenly appeared next to them livid. "... They better not see me frosty, cause if they do, I'm gonna blow a fuse."

Jack shrugged "fair enough,"

Bunny tapped his foot, Danny yelped as the earth disappeared under them and clinged to Jack and his staff. Jack seemed completely calm as Danny was trying to slow his heart rate.

Danny's head felt like it was stuffed in cotton as he repeated the same words to himself over and over _'You're not being buried you're not being buried you're not being buried...'_

Danny winced at the sunlight hit his eyes one more as they were back at the park, this time with Bunny in tow.

Bunny took a deep breath in and widen his stance as if he was preparing for a battle instead of simply meeting new people "alright, lets do this."

Jack crossed his arms "did you seriously bring your boomerangs for this?"

Bunny paused "you never know,"

Jack Frost scoffed. But stopped as he saw Danny's face and how he was clinging to his staff tightly as if it was as vital as the air itself.

Jack decided he was going to ask Danny about this later when they were alone and turned to Bunny "you ready?"

Bunny swallowed "... never been more prepared."

 _. . ._

No one saw Bunny. Well, no one that wasn't suppose to. Children yanked on their parents sleeves and pointed to what the adults saw as thin air when both Jack and Danny knew very well was Bunny. And other children called out his name, despite not being introduced properly. They seemed to know that it was the 'Easter Bunny' just by a spare glance. Of course, Danny figured that it was kind obvious since Bunny was a literal giant bunny.

Bunny seemed to relax at this, but was still tense. Especially when someone acknowledge Jack Frost, or even looked at his direction.

Bunny stared when yet another person greeted Jack with a quick 'hello' "... that's as creepy as hell mate."

Both Danny and Jack nodded silently in agreement as they watched the man with a tight boney frame and a grey jacket walk away after his quick hello.

All three stood there in silence as they processed this new information.

Danny looked at the rapidly darkening sky was the first to speak "I'm... going to go home now."

"We need to tell others tomorrow then" Bunny said, "I just- I'm gonna deal with this... _later_. I just can't right now." He then turned to Jack in alarming speed and jabbed a finger in his direction "and we also need to figure out why people can see _you_ out of any one of us spirts, and you alone"

"whoa, hold on a second, we still don't know if people can see-" Danny stopped as a young woman with shorts and a purple jacket gave him a weird look from talking to an empty space and walked away a little faster. Danny lowered his voice "- if people can see the _others_..."

Jack nodded "Danny has a point. I mean, what if they just can't see you but they can see some of the others? Like they can see me and Sandy now, or me and Tooth?"

Bunny paused "... we'll look at this _tomorrow_. Some of us need time and _sleep,_ "

Danny gave Bunny a weird look as he mentions the word sleep "You can sleep?"

Bunny scoffed "Anything alive has to sleep. It's the laws of nature." He gave Danny a cautious glance "... _you_ do sleep, right?"

Danny looked at Jack then quickly back at Bunny "What? Oh, yeah. Totally."

Bunny grunted "Alright then. I'm going home now."

And with two taps of his foot, Bunny was gone.

Danny and Jack looked at each other.

Both were now ready to explain some things.


	20. Death and forgetfulness

"You _drowned_? I- you died?!"

Jack Frost gave him a conundrumed look from where the both of them where sitting, "Danny, I don't think you out of all people can be surprised about this, I mean- _you were buried_. You literally met fate, no one meets fate! Spirits _or_ mortals!"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, "especially when she's doing business."

Danny raised a brow in doubt "Ok, if no one had met Fate, then how come you know of her?"

Jack paused "To spirits she's like... she like the celebrity of the spirit world. Not really anyone has met her but everyone knows of her," Jack weighed his hands "And to be fair, spirits had met her. Just, _never_ because she needed to do her job."

Both stood there at the park, once more at the tree by the lake.

"Was this where you buried?" Jack asked.

Danny drew the staff closer, "... yes." Danny turned to Jack Frost "Was this where you drowned?"

Jack looked away and stared at the lake, "... yes."

Danny looked away as well at looked at the lake "... did it hurt?"

Jack gripped at his chest "Yes. It had hurt very much." Jack swallowed "Sometimes, it still hurts."

Danny wrapped his arms tightly around himself, and flashbacks of nearly being suffocated alone under the dark earth hunted him once more. He didn't need to ask what Jack meant by how something so long ago can still hurt.

Jack turned to Danny, eyes glassy "I know that you don't remember your family, but..." Jack Frost licked his lips "but do you miss them?"

Danny froze, then took a shuddered breath. Not for dramatic effect, but because something in his chest made it hard to breathe, and almost harder to speak "Yes." he wheezed out "Yes I miss them."

Danny shook his head and gave a dry laugh "I don't know how. I really don't. But I know that something is missing. And that someone was there." Danny ran his hand through his hair "do you still miss your family? After all this time?"

Jack voice broke, "yes," He took a deep breath and stood up. "Let's... let's take you home."

 _. . ._

Jerry flipped to the next page of his newspaper as the front door opened "sup kid," Jerry eyed Jack "and kid two."

Danny and Jack Frost gave each other a glance then back at Jerry.

Danny blinked "I... yeah. Still not used to that. Anyway, Jerry?"

Jerry put down his newspaper.

Danny gestured to Jack. "This is Jack Frost."

Jerry folded his newspaper, "Isn't this the part where you tell him who I am?"

Jack Frost shook his head "No, we've met before."

Jerry raised a brow "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I knew you since you were a kid. You had an obsession with firetrucks, you would draw them in the snow and frost when you were like," Jack paused "five? I think? Anyway, you ruined my art work. Like _so_ many other people."

Danny and Jerry gave Jack Frost a bewildered look.

"The _hell_." Jerry whispered.

Danny jerked his thumb at Jerry, "Yeah, I'm with Jerry on this one."

"Hey!" Jack spread his arms "It wasn't like it was too long ago for me. Besides, I only really remember because I happened to be walking by when you were drawing out a plan with your friends in the town square on getting a actual firetruck to your house."

Jack Frost dropped his hands to his side. "But you guys ended up on having an argument on _who's_ house would get the firetruck, and then I lost interest. Which was a shame really because I would've invested my whole day on that."

Jerry shot up and walked to Jack "how- how old are you?!"

"317." Jack Frost said automatically.

Jerry gave Jack Frost a pointed look, "Right. Yeah, no, seriously, how old are you and what kind of skin cream care do you use?"

"I don't have money to buy skin cream, and I really am 317. My only skin care is in my magic immortality." Jack made in snow in the entryway "See? Foosh. _Magic_."

Jerry looked up at the snow with his mouth ajar and eyes nearly popping out of his sockets.

Danny looked over to Jerry "So... can Jack stay over?"

Jerry didn't say anything.

"Common Jerry, think of it as a sleep over. Plus, Jack doesn't have a bed. Or money."

Jack Frost continued looking up at the small snow storm that he made, amused "Or a house."

" _Or a house_ Jerry. Not even a house." Danny continued.

Jerry slowly turned around, his eyes blank "sure... sure, yeah, sure." Jerry sat down on the armchair " _Suuuuuure_. Sure. Yeah."

Jack Frost gave Jerry a concerned look "I think we broke him,"

Danny nodded "Definitely."

Both walked up the stairs.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Jack asked

"He'll be fine by the morning." Danny said.

Danny walked into his room and frowned as soon as he looked at his bed "Ah _damn it_." Danny lifted the sheets that was wet from melted snow and frost " _Damn it_ ," Danny gave Jack a angry glair, "You're killing me Jack Frost. You're _killing_ me."

Jack snickered.

Danny tossed Jack the sheets "You're washing this."

Jack Frost's smile ran away from his face.

 _. . ._

"What kind of fabric softener did you use?" Danny asked as he nudged Jack Frost and stretched on the bed.

There was a pause. "... I was supposed to use fabric softener?"

Danny sighed "whatever, It's too late now. Also, I thought you didn't need to sleep? You blacked out the minuet you hit your head on the pillow."

"I never needed sleep before. I'm just as weirded out as you are right now, I guess we just gotta add this to everything else." Jack Frost said with a drowsy tone.

Jack Frost rubbed his eyes, "Know what? I still want to sleep, I'm tired and it's too warm to get up."

Danny's eyes were alit with amusement "It's December."

Jack nuzzled his face against the blanket " _Too warm_ ,"

Danny laid down next to him "I'll give you a surprise."

Jack Frost peeked up in curiosity "a surprise?"

"Really. In fact, here it is," Danny cupped Jack Frost's face and gave him a soft kiss.

Jack Frost slowly got up "I'm _not_ tired anymore."

Danny smirked "I thought so." Danny also got up "Ready to face Jerry and the other Guardians?"

Jack shrugged "eh, sure. Why not?"

As if on cue, Jerry kicked open the door, still in last night cloths " _I have so many questions_." a beat "And demands. I also got some demands." He jabbed a finger in Jack Frost's direction "You. _You_. What are you? Answer," Jerry snapped his fingers "now."

Jack's eyes were wide in surprise "I'm... a spirit,"

Jerry motion him to go on, asking for more details. "so, you're dead?"

"A- a little bit?" Jack Frost hesitated.

Jerry gave him a blank look "The shit is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I died but... I was brought back? To life? By the moon? Sorta? Maybe?" Jack shrugged.

"... close enough to be a answer. Next question," Jerry pointed to Danny "You, yes you. How long did you know about..." Jerry paused and waved at Jack's direction " _this_."

Danny gave a nervous chuckle "Like... three months?"

"And why..." Jerry pinched the bridge of his nose "And _why_ on _earth_ , didn't you tell me?"

"In his defense, you couldn't see me at the time," Jack Frost piped up

Jerry narrowed his eyes " _What_."

"Before only kids could see Jack Frost. Even then, it was only if they believed him." Danny said.

Jerry paused, "That's good... to know. I guess," He cut them both a sharp look " _Demands_."

Danny and Jack Frost groaned in sync.

"No complaints! It's what happens when one happened to have a secret date."

Jack Frost and Danny's eyebrows flew up.

Jerry waved them off "Oh please, I'm a cop, kids. I'm not blind. Besides, I only have a few Demands, you'll live." He glanced at Jack Frost "Sorry, no pun intended."

Danny gave a relaxed shrug "It's cool." He said with a smirk. "Do you get it? He's Jack Frost? Cool-"

Jack Frost rolled his eyes "Yes Danny, I got it."

"Whatever, as I was saying." Jerry said "Demand one! Jack Frost, I need to get to know you. I mean common' man, you're Danny's best friend. And, only close friend now that I think of it." Jerry put two fingers up "Number two! Danny, you still need to come back at curfew, If you sneak out I'll _ground_ you. Spirit voodoo on your side or not."

Jack Frost looked back at Danny, "This is going better than I thought,"

Danny nodded "Agreed."

"Demand three!"

Danny and Jack frost turned right back at Jerry.

Jerry sighed "Alright, you guys might not want to hear this, and I don't blame you. But this needs to be cleared." Jerry took a deep breath "No. _Unprotected._ Sex."

Both Danny and Jack turned to each other and made a face.

"I'm pretty sure that we're both asexual,"

Danny pointed at Jack Frost "What he said."

Jerry raised hands in surrender "I'm just saying, it needed to cleared."

Danny shifted "Are- are we good now?"

Jerry crossed his arms "For now? Yes."

The front door downstairs was busted open and all three flinched.

"OHH-MY GODDDDD JERRY! _JERRY_! SOME WHITE-HAIRED KID FLEW OUT MY HOUSE AND I NEED DANNY TO EXPLANE SOME STUFF AND JAMIE KEEPS GIVING ME THIS _SMIRK_ -"

Jerry took another deep breath, "Why..." He looked back at Jack Frost and Danny, "what the hell did the two of you's do to Jossey?"

Danny cut Jack Frost a glair and Jack gave a nervous chuckle.

 _. . ._

Danny rubbed his nose, "Welp, this morning was awkward,"

Jack looked around at the park, as if looking for something "Oh, without a doubt. Jossey was pretty cool about the whole thing too..." Jack Frost trailed off.

Danny gave him a grin. " _Cool_ , you say?"

Jack Frost gave Danny a pointed look "You're the literal worst."

Danny gave Jack a smug look, "admit it, you walked right into that one,"

Jack Frost groaned.

Danny chuckled, "I mean, I didn't even need to prompt you, you did it _all_ on your own."

Jack Frost rolled his eyes "Whatever,"

Danny then looked around "Wait, are we meeting the Guardians here?"

Jack hummed in agreement. "Bunny is definitely going to be the one to get them all here."

Danny raised a brow, "Dude, you alright? You seem distracted."

Jack Frost turned to Danny. "Well... a little bit. I just kinda realized something,"

Danny blinked "What?"

Jack Frost suddenly grinned "I can do _this_ ," He grabbed Danny and with one arm around his waist the other his fingers entangled tightly with Danny's hand, Jack Frost lowered Danny to a low dip.

Danny's eyes were alit with amusement "Couldn't you do this before?"

Danny could've imagined it, but Jack Frost's eyes were a bit glassy.

Jack Frost licked his lips "Yes, but they can _see_ me do it." and with that, he pulled Danny to an into a kiss _hard_.

Danny slowly pulled away in a bit of a daze " _wow_."

Jack Frost pulled Danny back up "I gotta be honest, I saw the whole dip-thing in a move I snuck into,"

Danny didn't respond.

Jack Frost waved his hand over Danny's face. "Danny, you ok?"

That seemed to snap Danny out of it, "... can we do it again?"

Jack Frost beamed, " _Definitely_."

"Oh, hello Jack!"

Jack Frost waved back "hey Tooth, did you double check to see if you had Danny's memories?"

Tooth's warm smile turned to one of puzzlement "Yes, I did. But..." She turned to Danny and gave him a sad look "I'm so sorry Danny, I checked and double checked. I never had your teeth."

Danny looked down to his red shoes, "It's alright Tooth... I figured such."

Bunny hopped over, "if it makes ya feel better mate, we all checked whatever records we have-"

North nodded "We even checked over with Psyche, and she said she'z got _nothing_ ,"

"Um, yeah. And, no new news about really _anything_ about you." Bunny said.

Tooth furrowed her brows "It's the _strangest thing_. We checked with multiple spirits and they had no clue about you."

Jack Frost gave Danny a concerned look then turned to the guardians and rolled his eyes "Yeah, didn't we already know about this?"

Sandy made a series of symbols over his head.

Tooth translated "Well, yes. But it's one thing for us to not have any information about Danny, it's another for just about every spirit we've encountered to _not_ know absolutely anything about Danny."

Sandy nodded.

Jack's eyes flickered to Danny then back to the Guardians "Wait, weren't we here to see if mortals could see any of you?"

The rest of the Guardians glanced at each other.

North rubbed his hands together, "Ja! We did! Let'z get started!"

 _. . ._

"This iz... wrong. On too many levels," North said slowly as all the guardians walked down the park with Danny and Jack in tow.

"How do ya' think _I_ felt yesterday?!" Bunny said, eyes wide. As adults greeted Jack, and walked through the Guardians.

Danny gave Bunny a quick glance "Well, at least we know for sure it's just Jack they see now,"

Jack gave a stiff wave to a pass-by jogger. "Honestly? I would feel much more comfortable If they could see all of us."

Danny gave Jack a bewildered look " _Why_?"

Jack swallowed, and didn't answer.


	21. Self Care Sucks

"Why the hell are you sending me to _therapy_?!"

Jerry raised a brow "You make it sound like it's a bad thing,"

Danny crossed his arms and leaned back on the passenger's seat. "I don't need therapy."

Jerry gave a dry laugh as he turned the car to the corner, "Danny, it's been over three months and you still don't remember anything about your life, you had a panic attack at school in science when they pulled out a scalpel to dissect frogs and you still don't know why." Jerry eyed Danny. "You also grabbed all the frogs, _the already dead frogs_ by the way and _buried_ them." Jerry looked back at the road "And you don't know why about that either."

Danny opened his mouth to protest then closed it.

Jerry stopped the car at a red light. "You've... _sorta_ made some friends. But the only one you go out and do anything with is _Jack freak'en Frost_ who has been dead longer than you and me were alive."

The light turned green and Jerry pushed the gas pedal "And yeah, Jack is a pretty cool dude-"

"Cool, you say?"

Jerry groaned " _Stop_." He took deep breath "-But the bottom line is that you only have him as a close friend."

Jerry turned the wheel "Come to think of it, the only people I see you enjoying company with are in one way or another, older people. And even then, for the most part they've been through some pretty messed up stuff."

Danny made a face, "Wha- how so?!"

Jerry held his hand "Ok one, I'm a cop. I see some pretty messed up shit," He held up two fingers "Jossey is a doctor and a surgeon at that, pretty sure that's self-exclamatory." Jerry held up three fingers "And three, I don't know what stuff Jack went through. But if my numbers are right, he's seen both world wars, seen a number of poverty and political issues, and seen a whole ton of other stuff that I don't _really_ want to think about right now,"

Jerry eased into the parking space. "Yeah, kid? You're going to therapy."

Danny grumbled as he opened the car door, "What am I going to tell this guy anyways? It's not like I remember my," Danny made a rainbow gesture over his head. "'traumatic childhood'. Or whatever."

Jerry also got out of the car and slammed the car door behind him, "You're going to tell the psychologist whatever the psychologist asks. That includes 'I don't know'."

Danny looked less than happy, but didn't argue.

 _. . ._

"Hello, Danny Fenton." The woman held out her hand, "I'm Doctor Rose Claudel, but, just call me Rose."

Danny leaned back on the chair. His eyes analyzing the psychologist with cutting edge. Slowly, he shook her hand.

"Okay then." She lifted a ring and ribbon, "I'm going to hide these, alright? And before this is over, I'm going to need you tell me where they are before this session ends."

Danny crossed his arms and sulked deeper into his chair.

Rose got up and glance at Danny, "You don't seem to want to be here."

"No duh. How the hell is this supposed to help? It's not like I remember some epic traumatic experience. If there _was_ one. And you're not even doing the right thing! I don't have _constant_ amnesia," Danny turned around to where she was hiding the ribbon between two jackets "We have nothing to discuss."

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that."

Danny raised a brow.

Rose walked back to her desk and placed the ring at the top drawer. "You were Homeless for, what, a month? No memory, no family. Not even records."

Danny shifted in his chair, lips tight.

Rose sat down, "From what I've been told, you have dreams. I don't know about what, but that alone could take the whole hour and half,"

She settled in her chair, "Then, of course, there was the incident with the frogs."

Danny frowned.

She nodded towards the coat rack with the first hidden item, "And this is just a precaution."

Rose paused. "What was it like, being homeless?"

Danny blinked, "Not beating around the bush, are we?"

She shook her head. "You don't seem to be the type. However, if you wish to talk about something else-"

"no... no this is..." Danny took a deep breath, "this is fine."

Rose leaned back, waiting.

"What, no drilling?" Danny asked.

Rose shook her head, "No. Just a place to talk with someone who isn't too close and won't take what you have to say personally."

She gestured him to go on. And waited patiently.

"... I was always hungry."

Rose shifted, listening.

"I was terrified too, I..." Danny took a deep breath, and rubbed his face with both hands. "God this is so messed up."

He dragged his hands off his face. "I didn't know where I was, _who_ I was. I- I didn't know anything. I didn't know if the next 'meal' I dug up by the garbage was going to make me sick, I didn't know if- if I was losing my damn mind!" Danny decided it was best not to mention the dream sand or tooth's fairies that roamed the streets in the dark.

Danny looked down, "and- I dunno, I kind avoided everyone at that time." He looked back up. "Everything felt so strange. And sometimes I would remember something. Or, thought I did. It would be a flash, a smell..." Danny swallowed, "A dream."

Danny shook his head, as if lost in thought. "But dreams aren't memories, are they? Just, echoes of the subconscious. Pieces you couldn't pull together when awake. Jumbles from a long day. They're not _true_ , just the pieces you left behind. For better or worse."

Rose pause and shrugged, "I don't know. Or really, I don't remember. I wish I did, sometimes. But I don't."

"Yeah." Danny huffed, "That's what a lot of people tell me."

Rose seemed to analyze him. "You're too good at this, and you don't even realize it."

Danny raised his brows, both amused and curious, "Good at what, exactly?"

"This whole discussion, you didn't actually tell me much about yourself." Rose said, "Yeah, you told me that you had dreams, but by from what you just said, you told lots of people that you have dreams, and that they're not the issue.

Rose folded her arms on the table "And it seems that a lot of people already knew about that you were homeless, and even the dimmest of people can put the one and one together that you weren't happy or in a good place, so you don't bother hiding that either. You're too clever to."

Rose stared at Danny dead in the eye. "The shuffling, the head shaking, the movements. These were learned movements. You're not processing what you were saying, you're not affected. You don't actually feel what you're telling me, you're just telling me what I want to hear so I can get off your case. And do you want to know what the worst part is?"

She leaned forward, "You don't even know you're doing it. This is a learned skill. Somewhere along the way, you became so numb to what you're saying because quite frankly it was the only reason you could survive whatever you had to pull through. And I know you went through something. You hide your arms, tug the hem of your shirt, you pull down your sleeves and you don't realize it. You probably have some scars under that red hoodie, don't you?"

Danny pulled away from her and gripped his arms with tight fingers in mute horror.

Rose face soften. "But it wasn't your fault, was it? It never really is in these cases. You had something you needed to hide, and this was the result of it."

Rose glanced at the clock above the door then back at Danny. "We have a few minutes left, anything you want to add?"

Danny shot up with shaky legs "The ring is in your drawer, and the ribbon is between the two jackets."

In stiff movements and arms tight by his side, Danny walked out the room, and slammed the door behind him.


	22. And the Story Begins

Danny Fenton had a dream.

 _He was deep in the soil_.

 _Deep, deep,_ deep.

 _But it's different from the memory. So different from the ugly truth._

 _This felt more like sleep then panic._

 _His eyes were close, his arms were wrapped around himself, loosely. And his heart wasn't throbbing against his chest._

 _In fact, it wasn't beating._

 _Danny didn't feel panic, or fear or even bitterness._

 _He felt nothing._

 _Nothing at all._

 _ **So,**_ _Whispered an outside voice that sound too much like his own._ _ **This is sleep.**_

 _(it couldn't be_ himself _, could it? His lips weren't moving...)_

 _"Do you want to wake up?" A stranger's voice asked from the depth. "Are you ready to wake up?" a pause. "Some people need rest."_

 _Danny felt as though he was considering it. (Yet he didn't move. He wasn't really thinking. It just... was.)_

 _ **I'm not sure how long I can keep still.**_ _Danny whispered back, lips still, somehow..._ _ **I don't think I was made for sleep. Not yet. Not... not this kind**_ _._

 _Danny got the impression that the voice was tilting their head. "A strange thing, you are... not quite dead. And certainly not alive." Hesitation. "...Does that bother you?"_

 _ **... I... I don't know**_ _._

 _"Well, maybe you'll figure it out soon enough. Before you really_ do _sleep." Suddenly, Danny just_ knew _that the voice was grinning. "You better wake up now, though, before you're stuck like this."_

And that's when Danny woke up. Eyes wide. Covered in cold sweat and heaving like he was running.

Something in him suddenlyhollow. Like there was an unfathomable creator in his chest.

 _'My core. I'm missing a core.'_

Even as Danny thought this, it came with no warning. And worse, it offered no answers. Danny's brows furrowed. Why would his thoughts so unwillingly, so _suddenly_ , twist to a thing like a core? And what did it _mean_.

Was it some sort of a heart?

Danny's hand found its way to his chest, clutching tight to his shirt. _Feeling_ faint thumps.

But somehow, for some twisted awful reason, this didn't reassure Danny at all. This didn't sooth his spinning mind.

He wanted to be _cold_. He wanted to be still, to be silent.

This, to Danny, made no sense.

Danny was fine. He should at least _feel_ fine. Everything was as well as it could be; all things considering.

Yet Danny couldn't stop the sense of dread crawling up his spine. He couldn't stop this nonsense of an idea that something, was terribly wrong.

 _"A strange thing, you are... not quite dead. And certainly not alive."_

And why, _why_ was it that this of all words strike such a cord? What about this felt so hauntingly _familiar_.

What about this felt so damningly lonely.

 _. . ._

 _"_ So, chains of Apathy, eh?" Eros felt the weight of them in his hands. He had no choice after all. And he was on his knees. "I must admit, it's a bold move. Finding me. Locking me up..." Eros snorted. "You probably weren't sure if it would _work_."

"I'm... morbidly curious though." Eros said this in a soft defeated whisper. "What made you think of this?" He looked up to the figure. Or, at least as best as a blind man could. "What made you think that this would work?"

The figure, the small frail spirit with knobbly fingers and wire glasses looked back up to Eros. "What better opposite, what better way to neutralize love then apathy?"

"Ah... I see." Eros gave a dry laugh. "Clever."

The other spirit kept a blank expression. He said nothing.

"Well, what are you going to do with me?" Eros gave a sudden twisted grin. "It's not like you can kill me."

At this, the small man gave a sharp bark of laughter. "Oh no, I don't want to kill you. I very much need you alive. After all," The other spirit peered at Eros at the top of his gold-wired glasses. "I still need to know _how_." The small spirit let out a hiss, "And why you outlived the other so-called gods..."

Eros was suddenly terrifyingly still. As if paralyzed. And his face was a stark white.

The small old man's grin broadened. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you? That little secret of yours, about how any mortal can see you." He hummed. "Very interesting. Very _interesting_ indeed."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Eros cut in, saying this a little too quickly.

"Because, old friend, I have more than everything I could want from you. You're no threat. Not like this," He smirked. "I don't even need you awake to get the answers I need."

Eros, being chained up as he is, was unable to escape as a cage with a language older than himself was lowered on top. The cage was of glass, like an experimental tank.

The Spirit seemed amused by Eros's attempt to escape. At Eros willingly changing and losing shape that would surly drive any normal mortal insane. And all for nothing.

"listen old god, you will _sleep_." The other spirit gave a small smile as Eros stilled, form regained, and looked like death the minute the cage scraped the floor. The old riddle, the old curse in place.

"And you won't be waking up any time soon."

 **Authors Note: Short, but I figured that you guys would want something. Also, UM, THE COMMENTS? BLESS.**


	23. Missing

Jack Frost raised a brow, "Um, question. Why is this weirdo tied up in the workshop?"

Bunny shot him an incredulous look, "You don't recognize him either? It's _Eros_."

Jack Frost glance back at the man tied under the illuminant glowing glob and narrowed his gaze. Sure, admittingly, Eros and whoever this guy was shared a lot of similarities. But... it was more like how a poor copy would look, similar but not.

And Jack wasn't sure how he knew, but this guy could _see_ too. Maybe it was the way he focused his surroundings. Plus, the lack of the red blindfold was a dead giveaway.

"Naw, this definitely not Eros." Jack Frost glanced at the other four Guardians then back at the man. "Who... who tied him up?"

"That, would be me."

Jack Frost jumped, "I- _man_. Psyche, listen, you gotta stop appearing out of nowhere like that."

Psyche ignored him and sneered at the stranger. "This, is _not_ my husband."

The man rolled his eyes, sweat making his forehead gleam. "Alright, fine. You caught me. I'm not Eros. He flashed them a force, all too white smile. "Ya think you all can let me go now?"

North brows pinched, "Definitely not."

Tooth angrily buzzed closer to the stranger, "If you're not Eros, then who are you?"

Sandy had his sand form into a thick club and had it hitting the palm of his hand. Demanding an answer as well.

The stranger's eyes widen, "I'm his twin! Er, sorta. I'm better know with the mortals as Lust."

Psyche narrowed her eyes. "My husband has no twin."

"Like I'm saying, it's complicated." Lust attempted a shrug, but his arms were tied too tightly. "People confuse our natures like tomato, tamato. But for better or for worse, I'm Lust." He glanced curiously at Jack Frost then his eyes wavered to Psyche, "I'm curious though, how could you two tell so fast? What gave me away-"

Tooth scoffed and crossed her arms. "You are in no possession to ask questions."

Sandy nodded in grim agreement, eyes not leaving Lust as he let the club swing to his side. Ready at a moment's notice.

Bunny crossed his arms, "If you're not Eros, then, where is he?"

Jack pointed his staff at Lust. "And why did you take him?"

Psyche was the one that regarded the most caution picked up a saw from the nearest work bench and forced it centimeters from his neck, "Answer. now."

The rest of the guardians gave Psyche a weary and surprised glance. Bunny swallowed, "Betta do as she says mate."

"It was the rebellion! They sent me! I didn't sign up for this shit-" Lust made a choking noise when Psyche held the saw so hard against his neck that a single droplet of blood trailed down his collar bone. Lust was shaking now,

"You- what were you _expecting_?!" Lust spat this out in the same manner that reminded Jack Frost of a cornered animal, eyes ignited with rage. "How fair can it be that your husband c-can be seen by any mortal and- and the most of us spirits have to be in-be in t-this _hell game_ where we can only live if some snot-nose mortal simple _belief_ is the only thing keeping use from dying?!"

Lust gave a cold, hallow crackle that echoed through the room. "In- in fact, the Overseer knew that you would figure out! He _knew_. Not so soon, but," His eyes became as cold as Jack's ice, "He _wanted_ me to tell you."

For the first time, Psyche became an ashy pale, but then she bared her teeth. "What are they going to do with him."

Lust's eyes flickered to the worn wood saw then to Psyche. "The Overseer's got a lovely machine that'll figure out all of Eros's little secrets." Lust's eyes flashed. "And maybe, just maybe the whole world will see us! No more death. No more petty games-"

North's face twisted with disgust, "that's not how it'z supposed to work! It's- it's _unnatural_ -"

"So?" Lust snapped back. "So's medicine, and books and phones. I could go on. Those, were once- in fact _still_ dubbed as your so-called unnatural." Lust hiss 'unnatural' with a bitterness so thick that Jack Frost could feel Lust's hate echo through the whole room.

There was an uncomfortable silence that suffocated the room.

"Would it truly be so bad?" Lust all but whispered. "How many friends have we lost over the years because they floundered to have someone just simply believe in them? How many spirits became forgotten because they couldn't fit to mortal, to some _stranger's_ needs? How can that be fair." Lust's angry eyes found their way to North, "How can _that_ be natural?"

The Guardians eyes unwillingly flickered to Jack Frost, then each other. As if they all once asked that same question. Jack Frost himself started to lower his staff when he suddenly jerked it to Lust's direction. "You sill kidnapped Eros! He- you still have him in some _thing_ for experiments-" Without warning, Jack's thoughts turned to Danny. While suppressing a shudder he readied his aim. "-Your rebellion still kidnapped those mortals! Don't act like a cause can justify those actions."

Psyche was livid. "Where's Eros. Where are the humans." Lust squirmed as she placed the saw deeper still. " _Where_."

"I- I don't know!" Once more Lust's eyes were wide with panic. "The Overseer never told me!"

Tooth impressively seemed to loom over Lust like a dark shadow, "Why should we believe a word you say?"

Lust snorted, and flinched in pain when he did so. His eyes flickered to the saw. "What reason do I have to lie?"

Tooth didn't look convinced.

Sandy had an array of signs formed over his head.

"Yeah, what Sandy said." Bunny said, eyes still on Lust. "Who is your Overseer?"

Lust hesitated before be grimaced in pain, "humanity. Humanity the spirit is the Overseer."

Those words seemed to put Psyche under a strange spell as she slowly pulled away the saw, ignoring Lust as he melted in relief. Her eyes flashed to the other Guardians, "Do any of you have a place to put _him_."

Jack Frost raised a brow, "Lady, does it look like we got a prison set and ready under our sleeves?" A beat. "And given that Pitch escaped his prison several times, I suggest that we don't even go there."

"Actually," Tooth had the decency to look modest. "I do. In my castle,"

The rest of the Guardians stared.

"Why," Bunny said dryly, "do ya have a prison."

Tooth flustered and turned a deep red.

"Yeah, you know what?" Jack Frost raised his hands in surrender, "I don't. I don't wanna know. That? Better off a mystery to me." He then glanced back to Lust who looked severely rattled. "... Should we clean it? The cut I mean."

"It's taking everything I have not to kill him so there's a low chance that I'm doing it, Frost." Psyche said in a low growl. Still not placing back the saw.

Bunny sighed, "I'll do it then." He walked to the other side of the room and started grabbing medical supplies.

North gave Jack Frost a strange look. "I'm still confused though, I can see how Psyche could tell that it wasn't Eros but you..."

Jack Frost gave North a pointed look and raised a brow, "He's not even wearing the blindfold, North."

"Vhat? No, he has..." North sight zipped to Lust then back slowly back to Jack. "I swear, I saw him wear one earlier."

Jack Frost supposed that this turn of events was yet one more thing to add with the ever-growing list of things not-quite-right.

 _. . ._

There was a soft knock at Danny's door. "Hey kid, you alright?"

"Huh- um. Sure. I'm... I'm fine."

Jerry paused. "Can I come in?"

All Danny had on was an undershirt and baggy shorts that all but reveled most of his scars. Danny took a deep breath. "Yeah... yeah, you can come in."

Jerry might as well have kicked down the door. "Good cuz' I felt like you were in need of an in-bed breakfast, like, those always cheer me..." Jerry froze when he saw Danny. "up... you... your sweater is missing... I- _Jesus Christ_. Jesus _Christ_."

Danny didn't look up from the door, he didn't look at Jerry at all.

"Jesus Christ, What- _who_ ," Jerry's words died in his throat.

Every time Danny breathed in, the air clogged up in his throat making a soft wheezing sound. His eyesight started to blur, and Danny still couldn't look up to where Jerry was standing. Focusing only on the bed fabric that he had netted in-between his finger-tips, holding them on so tight that they turned a stark white.

"Hey... I- oh _god..._ hey Danny," Danny heard Jerry slid the plate onto some smooth surface and Jerry's footsteps come towards him. "Danny, it's ok. It's- It's gonna be ok."

Danny smeared his eyes with the heel of his hand. His breaths choked and rippled through his lungs while his eyes felt like they were on fire.

"It'll... God, I can't say that it'll be ok. I- shit, I can't make promise like that but..." Jerry tilted his head until he was in Danny's view. "I'll try to make it better, Danny. Ok? You don't have to do this by yourself."

Danny suddenly jerked his head up to where Jerry was, his expression indistinguishable.

Jerry straitened his posture and waited. For what, he didn't know. But he waited all the same.

Quite without warning, Danny lunged and hugged Jerry in a hold so tight that any sudden release of pressure might shatter him to a million pieces.

Jerry felt his eyes go blurry as he returned and tightened his hold. "Whoa, Danny, you're going to get my shirt all wet." It was said with a bittersweet fondness.

Danny scoffed. But his limbs loosened and after a long pause the silence thickened to sobs. And Jerry said nothing.

He had nothing to say.


End file.
